It is the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts. This festival is also know as the Feast for the Wandering Souls or a as Zhong Yuan Jie in Mandarin. It is held during the 7th month of the lunar calendar. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, families pay respect to their deceased relatives. They visit their graves often and feasting takes place as if their deceased relations are still with them.

During this time, the souls of the unborn and that of deceased ancestors and friends are released from purgatory to wander the earth for thirty days. The souls of the dead that are ignored by relatives may do acts of mischief. In order to avoid this steps are taken to appease the spirits before they go rampaging. Hell money, paper offerings and joss sticks are burnt to see to their material needs; food is offered so that the souls do not go hungry and are so less likely to wreck havoc.

Pictured below my wife Shao Ping is making offerings on the edge of the void deck of our block, numbered 465 in Choa Chu Kang.