Feature: Honoring ancestors with a daring climb at Ghost Festival in Taiwan

TAIPEI, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) — Thousands of visitors poured into the small town of Toucheng in eastern Taiwan on Monday evening, the last night of the seventh lunar month, for a unique contest called “Qiang Gu,” also known as “Ghost Grappling,” a tradition with a history of over 200 years.
The large square, specially allocated to the event, was bustling, with vendors doing brisk trade around its perimeter, while captivating performances took turns on the stage.
In the center of the square stood two towering scaffolds: the smaller “Rice Structure” and the larger “Gu Structure.” Both had thick wooden pillars at the base, supporting a strong wooden platform. The platform of the smaller structure bore a tall bamboo tower, with a special flag on top called a “Tailwind Flag.” Meanwhile, the platform of the larger structure bore 13 such towers, each with its own Tailwind Flag. The two structures would be used for separate competitions, but in each case the aim was to climb to the top and capture the flag first.
The event began at 11 p.m. with an individual contest at the Rice Structure. Ten contestants each climbed one of the supporting pillars, using both hands and feet. Within three to four minutes, some had already reached the top of the Rice Structure, approximately five floors high.
This “appetizer” contest, though brief, heightened the anticipation of the audience, whose attention then shifted to the more grandiose main event.
The Gu Structure was supported by 16 large cedar pillars standing about 13 meters tall and 70 centimeters in diameter, 12 of which were used for the climbing competition. On the platform above stood 13 pointed bamboo towers, each about 30 meters tall. Besides the flags on top, they were hung with offerings such as chicken, pork and beef.
The main contest commenced with the sound of a gong. Twelve teams from various counties and cities across Taiwan, each with five members, immediately rushed to the pillars. Using a “human pyramid” technique, they began lifting one team member as high as they could onto their allotted pillar.
This highest team member then began the most arduous aspect of the contest, climbing the slippery, grease-coated pillars, using a rope loop to provide a point of leverage. Despite these efforts, every team experienced multiple falls, saved by their ropes and harnesses, eliciting gasps from the spectators below. Several exhausted climbers had to stop and rest on the pillars, desperate to regain their strength.
Approaching midnight, one contestant finally reached the top of his pillar, navigating an overhang to climb onto the platform, then scrambling up the bamboo toward his allotted Tailwind Flag. The quickest team completed the contest in about 30 minutes.
Around 5,000 spectators gathered beneath the structure, fixing their eyes on the brave contestants and cheering them on. At 1:10 a.m. on Tuesday, the last Tailwind Flag was successfully captured, bringing the annual event to a close.
“This year’s competition lasted longer and was more lively than in previous years,” said a local resident surnamed Chen.
Although it is a festive celebration, the Qiang Gu event bears a solemn tone, reflecting the local people’s compassion for the deceased and their remembrance of ancestors, she said.
The origin of the event can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when there was thriving trade between the harbor in Toucheng and the mainland. To commemorate their ancestors and pray for their blessings, early settlers from Fujian Province on the opposite side of the Taiwan Strait began holding the Qiang Gu competition on the last night of the seventh lunar month each year, the night when, according to the Chinese folk belief, the gate to the nether world was closed.
The event is the culmination of Taiwan’s month-long celebration of the Zhongyuan Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival on both sides of the Strait.
Throughout the seventh month in the lunar calendar, which runs from early August to early September this year, the streets of Taiwan were filled with a festive vibe. People gathered at temples and ancestral halls, burned incense, offered food and gifts, and prayed for blessings. A string of celebrations were held across the island, from a large parade in the port city of Keelung, to the water lantern festival in Yilan and the night market in Miaoli.
Wu Zhufang, a local official of Yilan, wrote a poem in 1825 about a similar night: “The whole city was immersed in the smoke of incense and candles, songs were sung under the moon… climbing onto the high platform, people were eager to be first.”
Nearly 200 years later, contestants still courageously climb the platforms, offerings to the deceased still fill the tables, and the tradition continues to be passed down through the generations in Taiwan. ■