Bukit Mertajam’s Hungry Ghost Festival—locally known as Phor Thor or Yu Lan—has been a deeply ingrained tradition in the town for over 130 years, blending spiritual reverence with community spirit. During the seventh lunar month, believed in Taoist lore to open the gates of hell, a towering effigy of the hell deity Tai Su Yeah (measuring nearly 9 meters tall) is constructed from bamboo and vibrant paper and placed under a tent for worship. Devotees lay out offerings of food, paper money, and prayers for ancestral spirits and wandering souls, as traditional Chinese opera troupes perform nightly to amuse both mortal attendees and supernatural guests.
On the 15th day (which is today), the highlight of the festival unfolds: the effigy is paraded through Jalan Pasar and ceremonially burned to send the deity—and the spirits—back to the underworld, a ritual witnessed by thousands of participants from across Malaysia and beyond. The event not only honors tradition but also teaches younger generations about filial piety, ancestor respect, and cultural continuity.
