Spirits enter land of living at the Hungry Ghost Festival

On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Others give ritualistic offerings of food and light incensed sticks for the ghosts who come down (Photo: AP)

Ethnic Chinese pray in front of a 27 ft and 2 inches high giant paper statue of the Chinese deity "Da Shi Ye" or "Guardian God of Ghosts". People believe that during this time, ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. (Photo: AP)

Ethnic Chinese throw paper offerings in-front at a 27 ft and 2 inches high giant paper statue of the Chinese deity "Da Shi Ye" or "Guardian God of Ghosts". Prayers are offered to the dead and offerings of food and paper-made models of items such as televisions, refrigerators and sports cars are burnt to appease the wandering spirits. (Photo:AP)

Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is veneration of the dead, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths. Activities during the month include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. (Photo: AP)

Buddhists from China claim that the Ghost Festival originated with the canonical scriptures of Buddhism, but many of the visible aspects of the ceremonies originate from Chinese folk religion, and other local folk traditions. (Photo: AP)

Ethnic Chinese people pray after a giant paper statue of the Chinese deity "Da Shi Ye" or "Guardian God of Ghosts" was burned during the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival in Bukit Metajam, Malaysia. The ghost festival has parallels in Theravada Buddhism, such as the Cambodian Pchum Ben festival, reflecting the same assumptions about an annual opening of the gates of hell. (Photo: AP)

Fourteen days after the festival, to make sure all the hungry ghosts find their way back to hell, people float water lanterns and set them outside their houses. These lanterns are made by setting a lotus flower-shaped lantern on a paper boat. (Photo: AP)

Ethnic Chinese burns incense sticks in front of a 27 ft and 2 inches high giant paper statue of the Chinese deity "Da Shi Ye" or "Guardian God of Ghosts" during the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival. In Chinese culture, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month. (Photo:AP)

A man collects joss sticks in front of a giant paper statue of the Chinese deity "Da Shi Ye" or "Guardian God of Ghosts" during the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival in Kuala Lumpur. These ghosts that come duirng this festival are believed to be ancestors of those who forgot to pay tribute to them after they died, or those who were never given a proper ritual send-off. They have long needle-thin necks because they have not been fed by their family, or as a punishment so that they are unable to swallow. (Photo: AP)

Malaysian Chinese people burn a giant paper statue of the Chinese deity "Da Shi Ye" or "Guardian God of Ghosts" during the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival. (Photo: AP)

A man offer prayer to a giant paper statue of the Chinese deity "Da Shi Ye" or "Guardian God of Ghosts". Family members offer prayers to their deceased relatives, offer food and drink and burn hell bank notes and other forms of joss paper. (Photo: AP)