The 2025 Yu Lan Cultural Festival kicked off on Friday, commemorating the Hungry Ghost Festival, an ancient Chinese tradition celebrated by Hong Kong's Chiu Chow community.

This year, the festivities are taking place at the Moreton Terrace Temporary Playground (near the Hong Kong Central Library). Admission is free.

The event, which runs through Sunday, showcases the charm of Yu Lan Festival’s traditions through innovative and traditional activities.

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Visitors can experience the immersive interactive theatre Come Home to Depart and Yu Lan: A New Chapter – Claws for Cards.

In 2011, the "Yu Lan Festival of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community" was added to the third national list of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The event has been observed for over a century during the seventh lunar month. During this time, communities provide offerings and perform rituals to honor the wandering ghosts in the netherworld, according to Hong Kong's Intangible Cultural Heritage Office.

China Daily’s Andy Chong took the photos on Friday.