Keelung Zhongyuan Festival Moves Water Lantern Ceremony Ashore Due to Rough Seas

The traditional 'water lantern' ceremony, a key part of the 172-year-old Keelung Zhongyuan Festival in Taiwan, was adapted this year due to hazardous sea conditions. High waves, measuring about 1.5 meters, and a significant amount of floating wood made the usual practice of pushing the lanterns out to sea perilous for rescue and volunteer firefighters.

Instead of launching the lanterns onto the water, the ceremony, held late at night at Wanghai Lane coast in Badouzi, involved lighting the water lanterns on the shore. This modification was made after a procession through Keelung city concluded. The ritual, led by Taoist priests chanting scriptures, aims to invite spirits, referred to as 'good brothers,' to receive offerings during the upcoming Ghost Festival on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.

Representatives from various family associations carried their respective water lanterns to the seaside. In previous years, individuals skilled in swimming would push the lanterns into the ocean. However, the current conditions posed a risk of the lanterns being overturned by waves or rescuers being endangered. Consequently, after consultations among the family associations, the decision was made to conduct the lighting ceremony on land.

The adapted ceremony ensures that the spirits receive the paper money and the sincere invitations from the family associations, encouraging them to partake in the offerings prepared for the Ghost Festival. The event, despite the change in location, maintained its spiritual significance, with fireworks adding to the coastal ambiance.