Hungry Ghost Festival 2015

2015 Hungry Ghost Festival in BM, Penang

2015 槟城大山脚中元节（盂兰胜会）

30 August 2015 - Urban Sketchers Penang were invited to sketch the Hungry Ghost Festival at Bukit Mertajam. We arrived at this little town in Penang around 4.30pm to witness the last day of celebration. Chinese folk culture believes that during the 7th month of Chinese calendar, hell gate opens and ghosts will enter our world. To appease the ghosts especially the Tai Su Ya (King of ghosts), who is believed to guard the hungry ghosts so that they do not become unruly, many places set up the temporary tent to house the effigy of Tai Su Ya which is made of bamboo (for the form) and coloured papers. Bukit Mertajam is famous for the festival with its majestic look effigy of Tai Su Ya. On the last day of celebration, the effigy will be burnt to send off Tai Su Ya. In Bukit Mertajam, Tai Su Ya was made to grow taller each year by an inch. When Tai Su Ya reached 26 feet in 2012, the Festival Committee decided it was optimum and would be fixed at this height for years to come.

Our sketches/ Paintings of Tai Su Ya

150830 大山脚庆赞中元大士爷金身 Tai Su Ya, Bukit Mertajam 38x56cm Watercolour

After painting, we went for dinner and when we came back, the Chinese opera troupe who used to perform on stage during the festival, were performing on ground in front of Tai Su Ya. I quickly seized the opportunity to make a few sketches of the Chinese opera characters. 

We met Jamie Vickers from LA. Jamie was touring and sketching Asia.

While waiting for the effigy to be burnt at 10pm, we went to the Festival Committee office to see some of the photo records of how Tai Su Ya was made and delivered to site for assembly.

Alan Teh, the Architect who was brought up in Bukit Mertajam and who invited us to sketch the Festival, was explaining to us about the making of Tai Su Ya.

I walked to the street at around 9.30pm and it was crowded with devotees waiting to see the finale- the burning of Tai Su Ya effigy. There were 5 fire engines stood by near the place where the effigy of Tai Su Ya would be burnt. Tai Su Ya was wheeled out from the temporary tent to the site just closed to 10pm. By then everyone was anxious to witness the burning and those with joss sticks in their hands started praying. The volunteer firemen shot the water to the sparks flying around in the sky once Tai Su Ya was set on fire. 

Standing among the crowd, I first sketched the fire engine and the crowd, and waited for Tai Su Ya's appearance and burning to finish off the sketch.   焚化大士爷金身的一刻，有五辆消防车待命，大士爷金身一烧，星火冲天飞舞的那一刻自愿消防队员就立刻朝冲天的星火喷水，以防火苗落到邻近房子引起火患。大士爷金身还未推出来时我先把消防车和围观的信徒画好，等大士爷金身一到就把祂补上。

Other sketches/ paintings done during the Hungry Ghosts Festival in Penang

21 August 2015 - Sketches of Teowchew Opera performers working on their make up below the stage. The Teowchew Opera Troupe from China was performing at Jelutong Market for the Hungry Ghost Festival. 

中国诏安潮剧团演员在台底上妆准备出场。

28 August 2015 - Kim Giak Low Choon Puppet Show at Terengganu Road.

Terengganu Rd 大伯公庙庆赞中元金玉楼春潮州木偶剧团酬神演出与槟城潮剧推手吴慧玲小姐合影。

150828 Kim Giak Low Choon Puppet Show 38x56cm Watercolour

8 September 2015 - I was looking to paint the Chinese Opera performance during the Hungry Ghost Festival but could not find one in town. Finally ended up at the junction of Jalan Kapitan Keling and Armenian Street with not the traditional performance but the Getai (pop song performed by scantily clad singers).

在市区遍寻不着庆赞中元的传统戏曲来写生，最后在椰脚街找到了一个辣妹歌台，只好转而画大士爷。正所谓：
鬼王怒目端坐，信徒膜拜；
辣妹热歌劲舞，观众欢呼；
画者挥笔勾勒，心跳加速；(*)
路人驻足围观，听歌赏图。
(*)心跳加速无关辣妹，乃振耳欲聋的音乐所致。

150908 Tai Su Ya @ Jalan Kapitan Keling, Penang 38x56cm Watercolour