Written by Chee-Hann Wu.
Image credit: IMG_1271 by 。EvilFish。/ Flickr, license: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Beliefs in the afterlife and in spirits are universal and exist in different cultures and societies. Naturally, ritual practices, ceremonies, festivals, and customs arise, such as Halloween in Western countries and Día de Muertos in Mexico. Similarly, in Taiwan, the year’s seventh month in the lunar calendar is dedicated to ghosts and the deceased. The Gate of the Ghosts opens on the first day of Ghost Month and closes on the last day, during which the spirits enter through the gate and wander the world of the living. People usually set up altars, prepare offerings and burn incense and joss papers for them. In addition, the Ghost Festival, or Zhongyuan Festival in Taoism and Yulanpen Festival in Buddhism, is held on the fifteenth night of the month. Rituals are performed for the transmutation and release of the suffering of the deceased.
An integral part of Ghost Month is the worship of the dead, in which the filial piety of descendants traditionally extends to their ancestors even after their deaths. In addition to those who are cared for by their families, people also offer food and incense to those who have no descendants or whose descendants have not paid tribute to them after their deaths. Because ghosts can sometimes be mischievous or harmful to the living, people usually avoid important tasks during this month, such as weddings, moving, buying cars or houses, having surgery, and so on. In addition, it is traditionally recommended to bypass water-related activities to avoid being caught by water ghosts.
Interestingly, although many Asian countries have similar beliefs, rituals, and celebrations for ghosts, Taiwan is the only country with a specific Ghost Month, believing that ghosts haunt the island of Taiwan for the entire seventh lunar month. Ghost Month began on 16 August this year. Taiwan Insight prepares a special issue with three articles that explore different aspects of Taiwan’s ghost culture. They illustrate how ghosts, both physical and metaphorical, shape the nation’s cultural, social, and political landscapes.
Taiwan, A Ghost Island.
Ghosts are not unfamiliar to most Taiwanese. From rituals and taboos, what to do and what not to do in certain situations, to endless ghost stories, people deal with ghosts or supernatural beings daily. It is not surprising that Taiwan has been called “Ghost Island”. Chia-rong Wu’s research on Taiwan’s Ghost Island narrative traces the island’s association with monsters, supernatural beings, and fantastic beasts since Qing rule, followed by Japanese colonization, the establishment of the Nationalist government in the mid-twentieth century, and the political turmoil of recent decades. In addition, Taiwan is often derided as the Ghost Island because its social, political, and economic situation makes it so unlivable that no one but ghosts would want to live there.
Han Taiwanese society often upholds a binary system, such as yin/yang, heaven/hell, god/ghost, life/death, and the pure/impure. Ghosts may be scary and undesirable in most cases because they are associated with death, impurity, taboo, and fear. However, the frightening images and derogatory implications of Taiwan as a ghost island have recently become a trend that denotes a uniquely Taiwanese identity that includes both self-mockery and pride in being different. Examples include the popular song “Ghost Island” by Taiwanese rapper Dwagie and Malaysian singer Namewee, and the multilingual podcast network on sharing perspectives from Taiwan, The Ghost Island Media.
In addition, the Ghost Island narrative is about countering fear, challenging denigration, and making Taiwan an island with a vibrant culture and ecology. Ghost Island has been a trend in contemporary literature and popular culture in the past decade, and is generally accepted by the public for its exclusive Taiwaneseness.
This Special Issue
There is no single definition of a ghost. Generally, the deceased becomes a ghost, but may appear in different forms, such as deities, ancestors, or wandering spirits (guhunyegui). These can all be considered different kinds of ghosts. In addition, supernatural beings or monsters (yaoguai or môo-sîn-á) are sometimes considered or mistaken for ghosts, although they are not human. Undoubtedly, all of these beings are born out of people’s fear, and sometimes awe, of the unknown, the unrecognized, and the uncontrolled. They are born and shaped by the collective (sub)consciousness, reflection, projection and introjection of society and passed down through stories, some with historical references, over generations.
This special issue features articles on ghosts in the broadest sense—ghosts as phenomena, ghosts as popular culture, and ghosts as aggregations of consciousness and memory. The authors explore the emergence and meanings of Taiwan’s ghosts and ghost culture, and how they are named, renamed, imagined, reimagined, and evolve with the sociocultural landscapes. The rebirth of ghosts in different ways enriches the Taiwanese culture.
Ting-yu Liang critically examines the involvement of Taiwan’s various government organizations in the practices related to Pudu ceremonies during Ghost Month and their attitudes toward the traditions and rituals.
Yi-ping Wu draws attention to Chen Shou Niang, one of the fiercest female ghosts in Taiwan, the meanings behind her story, and how Chen Shou Niang and other ghosts have cultivated a unique business model for cultural and creative industries over the past five years.
Chee-Hann Wu looks at Taiwanese horror games released in the past six years. In addition to focusing on the presence of ghosts or monsters, Wu explores the meanings behind the feeling of being haunted by something unknown in the games and how players are driven to solve the mysteries in the games to find out the source of such haunting.
Taiwan has a rich history of ghosts, and people deal with them in distinct ways, religiously or not, and through different media, including but not limited to ritual practices, tourism, comics and video games. It is important to note that none of the articles are intended to argue whether ghosts really exist. They are about the complex relationship between Taiwan and its ghost culture and how individuals and society both constitute and are constituted by such a unique culture. Ghost culture is about manifestations of local belief and respect for it, not superstition. As the Gate of the Ghosts opens, it is time for everyone to prepare and join this amazing journey with the ghosts!
Chee-Hann Wu is an Assistant Professor Faculty Fellow at NYU Tisch Drama. She received her Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre from the University of California, Irvine. Chee-Hann serves on the board of the North American Taiwan Studies Association and is an editor of Taiwan Insight. Her current book project considers puppetry as a mediated means of narrating Taiwan’s cultural and sociopolitical development, as well as colonial and postcolonial histories.
This article was published as part of a special issue on Taiwan and Its Ghost Culture.
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