Pu-Tu in Lukang

Pu-Tu in Lukang, Central Taiwan

Zhongyuan Pu-Tu

Commonly practiced in July of the lunar calendar, also called the Ghost Month.

Origin: A feast to lonely ghosts and deserted spirits so that they can enjoy hospitality of the human world. A folk belief that combines the Ullambana Festival of Buddhism and the Zhongyuan Festival of Taoism. Details available at “Something about Pu-Tu.”

Pu-Tu can be done publicly or privately to make offerings to wandering ghosts. Public Pu-Tu is a large-scale praying event at a temple. Private Pu-Tu is done by an individual household.

Pu-Tu in Lukang

Features of Pu-Tu in Lukang

Time: from the first day of July to the third of August in the lunar calendar

Activity: Corner temples and street blocks* take turns in running Pu-Tu. This rotation program led to the creation of the Song of Pu-Tu in Lukang. Street baggers also take the chance to walk around everywhere for food and money.

Uniqueness: Another unique type of Pu-Tu rotation in Lukang went by family names*. According to Mr. Shih-Hsian Chen, a local scholar in history and culture, a total of 12 families with different family names took turns in leading this kind of Pu-Tu each year. This was rarely seen in any other places in Taiwan and is hardly available nowadays.

Purpose of neighborhood involvement:

　　Pu-Tu is for lonely ghosts and deserted spirits to enjoy food offerings for a day. The rotation scheme also serves as an occasion for people to bond and connect. It is a joyful activity for both ghosts and humans. Mr. Rang-Fu Shih, a late local scholar, once wrote, “Ghost Gate opens on the first day of the month when melons are ripe before autumn. Tens of operas run on stages each day and tour around the town for one month. Pu-Tu here is proudly the most magnificent in Taiwan.” It is not difficult to imagine the extravaganza in those years with corner temples and street blocks competing for attention.

Terminology for Lukang Pu-Tu (1)

*Corner temples and street blocks:

This refers to the service catchment area of a street corner temple. In the context of early settlements, it is the living area of the same group of people for generations. In essence, Lukang is a town composed of many corner temples and street blocks.

*Pu-Tu led by different families:

“Year of the Rat is held by the Wang family from Tangtou;

Year of the Ox is held by the Chen family from Jinting;

Year of the Tiger is held by the Tsai family from Tangbian;

Year of the Rabbit is held by the Su family from Sucuo;

Year of the Dragon is held by the Lin family from Houze;

Year of the Snake is held by the Huang family from Pujin;

Year of the Horse is held by the Hong family from Hongjue;

Year of the Goat is held by the Huang family from Tanghou;

Year of the Monkey is held by the Wu family from Houan;

Year of the Rooster is held by the Wu family from Shanya;

Year of the Dog is held by the Chang family from Wutou;

Year of the Pig is held by the Wu family from Houtou.”

After the name of the family is the place in Quanzhou where their ancestors lived before migrating to Taiwan.

Photo 1: Pu-Tu Rotation in Lukang

Photo 2: Pu-Tu in Lukang Mazu Temple

Photo 3: Lukang Dizangwang Temple

　

Photo 4: Lukang Weiling Temple
　

Photo 5: Ceremony of Detention of Wandering Ghosts at Fengtian Temple
　

Pu-Tu in Lukang: Now and Then

Decline of the rotation scheme:

     The government started to promote cost-effective praying activities in 1952. As a result, Zhongyuan Pu-Tu has mainly become a one-day event on July 15^th since then. The grandeur described in the Song of Pu-Tu in Lukang is a thing of the past.

Change of Pu-Tu practices at temples:

     In the old days, different temples in Lukang held the event on distinct dates; Dizangwang Temple on the first day of the lunar July, Mazu Temple on the fifteenth, and Weiling Temple on the last day of the Ghost Month. However, now they all have their religious rites on the same day, albeit with different styles and for different purposes.

Mazu Temple: Mazu Temple has always been holding its Zhongyuan chanting ceremony on July 15^th.

Dizangwang Temple:

     The Zhongyuan ritual in Dizangwang Temple is to open the central gate and the right one, also called the Death Gate, which here are both closed normally. (There are usually three front gates in a temple in Taiwan. The main central gate is for gods, while people go into temples from the left gate and exit from the right.) It is the day for the ceremony of the Ullambana Festival and the Vehicle of Salvation* for the rescue of those who died of unnatural deaths.

Weiling Temple:

     Weiling Temple has been serving Ghost Altar* dedicated to homeless ghosts since the Qing Dynasty. A bamboo pole with a lantern would be erected* in front of the temple so that hungry and wandering ghosts know that they could enjoy a good meal here. It is also a friendly reminder of finishing up their holidays in the living realm and returning to where they belong slowly and gradually. After a Tao priest has completed the ritual, the bamboo pole will be removed. This is followed with the burning of paper Pu-Tu God, Mountain God, Lord of the Soil and the Ground, as well as Residence of Cold Forests (for ghosts who were military, government officials or aristocrats) and money paper. Once the ghosts have been sent to Dizangwang Temple, the ceremony at Weiling Temple is completed. It is worth mentioning that longan is a must-have on the offering table. This is because longan shells can turn into baskets so that ghosts can bag the food into them back to the underworld.

Whole religious ceremony of Pu-Tu in Lukang:

     On July 15^th of the lunar calendar, Dizangwang Temple opens the Ghost Gate. Later, the Great General in Weiling Temple assists in the gathering of ghosts and returning them back to the Ghost Gate. On August 20^th of the lunar calendar, the Lord of the Su Family in Lukang Fengtian Temple implements Detention of Wandering Ghosts* to capture the runaway ghosts or the ghosts who have overstayed their holidays and send them back to the City God. On October 1^st of the lunar calendar, City God Temple completes the Praying for Wandering Souls* and extradites the ghosts to Dayuan Dizang Pusa to finish the whole religious ceremony.
　

* Terminology for Lukang Pu-Tu (2)

Vehicle of Salvation:
     This is a dharma tool for the underworld. It is a tube made of paper on bamboo frames, at a height of four to five Taiwanese meters. A bamboo stick is inserted in the middle in order to fix a Vehicle of Salvation on the ground. Once the vehicle is turned manually, it can guide those die of drowning, childbirth or disasters from the Pool of Blood.

Ghost Altar: Altar dedicated to ghosts and spirits.

Erection of a bamboo pole with lanterns:

     A bamboo pole with twigs and leaves on the tail end is attached with a white flag and a seven-star lamp. It is erected to guide ghosts to come and enjoy food on the offering tables.

Detention of Wandering Ghosts: Extradition of runaway ghosts to the City God

Praying for Wandering Souls: Praying for the wandering ghosts

　

Photo 6: Vehicles of Salvation in Lukang

Photo 7: Ullambana Ceremony at Lukang Dizangwang Temple

Photo 8: Zhongyuan Pu-Tu Celebration at Lukang Mazu Temple

Photo 9: Pu-Tu Ritual at Lukang Weiling Temple



Taboos during Pu-Tu in Lukang

　　There are many traditional taboos during Pu-Tu in Lukang. We should pay attention and avoid doing them. Below is a friendly reminder from Lukang Explorers.

　

Taboo 1: about “Dumpling Send-off Rites” in July for those who committed suicide by hanging

     The send-off rites for those who committed suicide by hanging are commonly known as “Dumpling Send-off Rites.” The word “dumpling” is a euphemism for their dead bodies. Such send-off rites are typically avoided in July when Pu-Tu is on. If it is a necessity to hold one, prior reporting to gods for permission is required.

Taboo 2: about Lukang Dizangwang Temple

(1) In the past, the central gate was only open to the public on the 15^th of each month and on the birthdays of Dayuan Dizang Pusa, Goddess of Fertility, and God of Daily Life and Productivity. Dizangwang Temple only opened all the doors for Zhongyuan Pu-Tu, by holding a solemn religious ceremony.

(2) Most temples in Taiwan have Blue Dragon to the left gate and White Tiger to the right gate; Dragon Throat as the entrance and Tiger Mouth as the exit. However, Dizangwang Temple has Life Gate to the left and Death Gate to the right. On the 15^th of Zhongyuan, Death Gate, as well as the main central gate, is opened for ghosts. Therefore, it is prohibited to go in or out from Tiger Mouth even when it is opened for the festival from July 13^th to July 15^th.

Removal of Dizangwang Temple’s restrictions

     In the old days, Dizangwang Temple only opened its Dragon Gate. As all the other gates were closed, it gave a creepy feel and people would not enter. As a result, tourists flocked to the northern part of Lukang and shunned away from the southern part. The Management Committee decided to change this after the completion of renovations in 2004. At present, the central gate is opened every day by the consent from Dayuan Dizang Pusa via a show of moon blocks.