Thousands Gather in Penang for Malaysia’s Annual Hungry Ghost Festival Rituals
Between 10,000 and 20,000 people attended the 15-day Hungry Ghost Festival in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, where a massive paper-and-bamboo effigy of Da Shi Ye was burned to honor wandering spirits.
Bukit Mertajam in Penang hosts Malaysia’s Hungry Ghost Festival each year during the seventh lunar month, a tradition that began after a severe plague in 1888. For fifteen days, participants pray before a paper-and-bamboo statue of Da Shi Ye, one outlet God of Ghosts, which is constructed taller each year and reached 8.9 metres in 2026. Veteran craftsman Ng Chi Wong, aged 69, leads a small team that spends about a month and a half building the effigy without formal drawings, relying on shared knowledge of the design.
The ceremony culminates in the burning of the figure, symbolically sending the deity back to the spirit realm and offering comfort to wandering spirits lacking family worship. The event also serves as a charitable platform, with fundraising supporting medical needs and Chinese-language schools. Organizers have introduced online worship to allow overseas devotees to participate, and footage of the celebrations will be posted to social media for global viewing.
Why it matters
The festival illustrates how Malaysian Chinese maintain cultural heritage while fostering community support and charitable giving.
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