Taiwan Culture

Keelung’s Ghost Festival Blends Centuries-Old Traditions With Modern Culture

Published
Updated

By Klein Wang/Lery Hiciano

Open in App

Keelung has held its annual Ghost Festival for more than 170 years, bringing locals together to honor the dead and preserve a tradition rooted in the city’s history. The festivities culminate with lanterns being released into the sea to guide spirits back to the underworld, a ritual that continues to draw locals and international visitors alike. A previous version of the report "Keelung’s Ghost Festival Blends Centuries-Old Traditions With Modern Culture" misstated the meaning of the water lanterns. This has been corrected to clarify the lanterns attract wandering spirits ashore, not guide them back to the underworld or mark the end of Ghost Month.