搶孤(chiang3 gu) (I) (custom)

In Taiwan, lunar July is a month of low season for many businesses, including restaurants, moving companies, real estate agencies, car dealer . . . , because most people don’t get married, move, or purchase a house or a car in this so-called “ghost month.” 鬼月(gui3 yue4).

People believe that since the first day of this ghost month when the “hell gate” 鬼門(gui3 men2) is open, those 孤魂野鬼(gu hun2 ye3 gui3), ghosts without any offspring to offer sacrifice, are allowed to come from Underworld 陰間(yin jian) to our world. To appease those孤魂野鬼, people prepare abundant sacrifice to worship them three times this month,  with the one on the 15^th day this month the biggest, which is called 中元普渡(zhong yuan2 pu3 du4).

The Han Chinese have thought that people without offspring or people who 死於非命(si3 yu2 fei ming4), die of an unnatural death such as an accident or a murder, would turn to sinister ghosts and harm people after they die. During the immigration era from the 17^th century, when a great number of the Han Chinese started to immigrate to Taiwan, there had been tons of deaths caused by shipwrecks, natural disasters, plagues or fighting for land. To prevent those 孤魂野鬼from doing harm and also, out of sympathy for those who die an untimely death, people have taken the worship for ghosts very seriously.

Aside from the usual worship, there is a unique custom originating from Yilan 宜蘭(yi2 lan2) called搶孤, which takes place on the last day of the lunar July as a contest.

                                                                    

Before the activity, a platform is erected supported by 12 big columns that measure around 30 meters in length and one man’s arms around. The platform is called 孤棚(gu peng2).

  (fm4715/魯獅  flickr.com)   

Above the platform stand thirteen (these days, it can be simplified to only one) some 30 meters long pyramid-shaped columns with a variety of sacrifice around. A flag called 順風旗(shun4 feng qi2)is flying on the top of one of the pyramid-shaped columns. This part of columns is called 飯棚(fan4 peng2). The preparation won’t be complete without applying a thick layer of cattle fat onto the 12 big columns supporting the platform.

 (fm4715/魯獅  flickr.com)

When the gong is beaten to mark the start of the game, each of the team rushes to a column trying to climb up to the platform along the slippery column. Tools such as hemp ropes or strips of cloth are used to increase friction. Human pyramids are also made to reach the goal. With the fat, it’s really a time and energy-consuming task. (To save time, I’ve seen sometimes the game changed to a personal competition without so much fat.)

(TO BE CONTINUED)

                                                                                            

搶孤=抢孤

陰間=阴间

飯棚=饭棚

順風旗=顺风旗