Heritagizing the Chaozhou Hungry Ghosts Festival in Hong Kong

Abstract

This chapter narrates how and why the Chaozhou Hungry Ghosts Festival in Hong Kong has become a national intangible cultural heritage of China. The festival reflects religious needs, nostalgia for a traditional lifestyle, and an attempt to gain recognition for cultural traditions and identities. Among some segments of the Chaozhou community in China, the festival was also a deliberate attempt to use heritage status to create stronger ties with Chaozhou communities in Hong Kong and express support for the mainland government. The struggle for heritage recognition in this case took place within the larger framework of Hong Kong identity politics and pro-China politics.