Kyoto summers are as hot as, if not hotter than, Hong Kong’s – so, anyone who wants to experience the annual Gion Matsuri first-hand must be prepared to face the midsummer sun of the ancient city.
Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto. Photo: Christian Kaden via Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND4.0.The famous month-long Japanese summer festival is held every July at Kyoto’s Yasaka Shrine. Attendees pray for health and to ward off sickness at what is probably Japan’s largest and most extravagant festival. Gion Matsuri highlights include two grand processions: the Saki Matsuri (Early Festival) on July 17 and the Ato Matsuri (Later Festival) on July 24.
These highly decorative processions wind their way through Kyoto’s busiest streets. During this period, the city is filled with a festive atmosphere: colourful, noisy, and bustling. Visitors, both local and from afar, flock to the procession routes to take part in the celebrations. The streets are packed like sardines.
To avoid the sweltering heat, I prefer sitting in my air-conditioned home in Hong Kong and watching the processions via YouTube livestreams. Yet, every time I watch the Gion Matsuri and see the excitement of the crowds, I find myself wondering why we cannot turn our own annual, month-long Yu Lan Festival into a city-wide celebration that is as central to Hong Kong’s cultural life as the Gion Matsuri is to Kyoto.
Yu Lan, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, takes place on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month. In some places, it is observed on the 15th day instead. At its heart is the practice of offering food to spirits who have no family or friends to care for them and therefore receive no offerings. By feeding these lonely and hungry ghosts, communities receive blessings of peace and prosperity for the coming year.
Hungry Ghost Festival in Central in 2025. Photo: Chloe Lai/HKFP.In contemporary terms, the festival is about caring for the weak and the marginalised, whether they are family members or not.
Because of the nature of the festival, there is no central authority responsible for organising Yu Lan celebrations. Each event is organised by a local community. Preparations usually begin with the construction of a temporary bamboo theatre for Cantonese or Chiu Chow opera performances.
During the celebration period, communities distribute “Peace Rice” or “Blessed Rice” to elderly residents and those in need, and hold auctions of auspicious items. The money raised will be reserved for the festival next year. The festivities end with the burning of the Ghost King, an oversized paper effigy, on the final evening of the celebration.
Devotees build a 5-metre tall figure called “Dashiye” by bamboo and paper, representing “the king of ghosts” who stands guard during the Hungry Ghost Festival. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.As there is a limited supply of bamboo scaffolding workers and traditional opera troupes, communities coordinate among themselves to determine the dates of their celebrations. The Yu Lan Festival organised by the Sheung Wan Kaifong Association, for example, is held on a different date from those organised in SoHo, Central, Kwun Tong, or Peng Chau.
As a result, Yu Lan celebrations take place at different times in different neighbourhoods. Together, these community-based observances turn Yu Lan into a month-long season of celebrations throughout the seventh lunar month.
“Dashiye” was set on fire, representing farewell to the king of ghosts. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.While many Yu Lan celebrations follow Chiu Chow traditions, others reflect different cultural heritages, including Cantonese and Hoklo customs. Because each celebration is organised independently and rooted in the traditions of its own community, every festival has its own distinctive character.
The festival is an example of shared cultural heritage between Hong Kong and Macau, and it is also found throughout Asia and among Chinese diaspora communities around the world. In Taiwan, for example, it is known as the Zhongyuan Festival. In Japan, a related observance is known as Obon and is usually held in mid-August. And at home, the Peng Chau celebration is also referred to as the Zhongyuan Festival.
Hungry Ghost Festival in Central in 2025. Photo: Chloe Lai/HKFP.However, in terms of scale and density, Hong Kong is possibly unmatched. A celebration takes place in one district after another, and it takes an entire month to complete the cycle of observances across the city.
The structure of Yu Lan also offers unique opportunities for tourism. Visitors would need to stay overnight, and perhaps for several evenings, to experience different celebrations. The dispersed nature of the festival would also distribute visitors relatively evenly across Hong Kong’s districts.
Celebrations can be found in Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Sheung Wan, Sheung Shui, Yuen Long and many other neighbourhoods. By spending an evening watching the rituals and performances, visitors would contribute to local businesses and generate ripple effects throughout district economies.
Kyoto is immensely popular with both domestic and international tourists. The total number of visitors to Kyoto exceeded 60 million in 2025. Overnight visitors numbered more than 16.6 million, split almost evenly between 8.5 million Japanese visitors and 8.1 million international visitors. Tourist spending reached a record ¥2.5 trillion (HK$122 billion) in the same year. It is estimated that average visitor arrivals during the month of the Gion Matsuri exceed one million.
Clearly, Kyoto’s scorching July heat has done little to discourage tourists from filling the city’s streets to experience the festival first-hand.
Tourism in Hong Kong has undergone significant structural changes since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the livelihoods of many lower-skilled workers. Visitor arrivals and spending have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. The city has become increasingly reliant on visitors from mainland China, while the number of overnight travellers has declined. Travel patterns have also changed, with visitors now seeking experiences and more in-depth itineraries rather than focusing primarily on shopping. Consequently, there have been growing calls to strengthen Hong Kong’s cultural tourism offerings and attract a more international mix of visitors.
A Legislative Council research report showed that Hong Kong received 50 million visitor arrivals last year, equivalent to approximately three-quarters of the peak recorded in 2018. However, visitor spending fell by 44 per cent compared with 2018 levels. Average spending by overnight visitors declined by 17 per cent to HK$5,503 per person, while spending by same-day visitors dropped by 48 per cent to HK$1,139.
The experience of Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the crowds drawn to Yu Lan celebrations all demonstrate the appeal of community-driven cultural traditions. Such events offer an effective way to attract travellers from around the world, encourage longer stays, and generate economic benefits across local communities.
Hungry Ghost Festival in 2020. Photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP.Hong Kong already possesses a unique cultural asset in the Yu Lan Festival. Rather than viewing it merely as a traditional ritual, we should recognise its potential as a city-wide celebration that showcases Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage, strengthens community bonds, and contributes to a more sustainable and diversified tourism economy.
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