15/08/2026
English translation of the article on the 7th Month Zhong Yuan Festival
Zhong Yuan Festival Should Not Be Translated as “Hungry Ghost Festival”
By Xu Jiajun
The annual Zhong Yuan Festival has arrived once again. With the widespread use of online platforms and social media, both official organisations and community groups have been publishing information about the Zhong Yuan Festival, covering its origins, customs, taboos and other aspects. Regardless of whether all the information is entirely accurate, the English translation of the festival’s name is something worth reconsidering.
The Zhong Yuan Festival originated in ancient China. During the Han Dynasty, the founder of the Zhengyi tradition of Taoism, Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, advocated the belief in the Three Yuan (三元). The Shang Yuan Festival, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, is associated with the Heavenly Official (天官), who bestows blessings; the Zhong Yuan Festival, on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, is associated with the Earthly Official (地官), who pardons sins; and the Xia Yuan Festival, on the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month, is associated with the Water Official (水官), who relieves misfortune.
These three deities hold an exalted position in Taoism. The night of the Shang Yuan Festival is what we commonly know as the Lantern Festival. During the Zhong Yuan Festival in the seventh lunar month, people pray to the Earthly Official Great Emperor (地官大帝) for the pardoning of sins, while also providing a means of salvation and deliverance for spirits.
According to historical records, the Zhong Yuan Festival was especially flourishing by the Tang Dynasty. Likewise, the Buddhist Ullambana Festival (盂兰盆节), also held in the seventh lunar month, gradually interacted and merged with the Zhong Yuan Festival. Over time, they developed into a shared folk festival involving ancestor veneration and the universal salvation of wandering spirits.
The Zhong Yuan Festival therefore has strong religious significance. Behind it are Taoist and traditional Chinese concepts concerning ghosts, deities and souls, with particular emphasis on extending salvation and relief to wandering and unclaimed spirits. In terms of the calendar and seasons, the seventh lunar month also falls around the beginning of autumn. Since ancient times, this was also a period for ancestral rites. As Chinese people migrated to Southeast Asia, they brought these beliefs with them, where they were preserved and later blended with distinctive local traditions.
From this, we can see that the Zhong Yuan Festival is a festival with very rich cultural meaning. Unfortunately, its English translation often causes people to laugh or misunderstand it. The English term “Hungry Ghost Festival” literally means “饿鬼节” (Festival of Hungry Ghosts). This is simply not what “Zhong Yuan Festival” means. Neither does it adequately convey the significance of the festival; indeed, it can even carry a somewhat derogatory connotation.
The objects of worship during the Zhong Yuan Festival are not merely “hungry ghosts,” because ancestors are also included among those honoured. The festival is not something gloomy or frightening. Rather, it embodies compassion for wandering and unclaimed souls, acceptance of and repentance for the sins committed by living beings, and reverence and offerings to one’s ancestors.
By comparison, the English translation of the Buddhist Ullambana Festival is much more appropriate. Since Ullambana originated in Indian Buddhism, it is generally translated as “Ullambana Festival,” directly retaining the Sanskrit term and its original meaning. Other festivals are treated similarly. For example, Vesak is translated as “Vesak Day,” while Hari Raya Aidilfitri retains its traditional name.
Why, then, can the Zhong Yuan Festival not simply be translated as “Zhong Yuan Festival”?
Such a translation would better convey the festival’s true meaning. The pronunciation of the two Chinese characters “Zhong Yuan” is also not particularly difficult, and it should not be challenging for non-Chinese speakers.
The Zhong Yuan Festival carries thousands of years of religious belief and traditional customs. Local Taoist followers and Chinese communities continue the Zhong Yuan tradition, which in itself is something worthy of pride. It is hoped that everyone can gain a deeper understanding of this festival from the perspectives of history, religion, belief and cultural meaning.
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/forum/talk/story20260814-9519856?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcATs1JtwZG9mBWZkaWQWUMgQTa7VVcos_XRb8sK70lZOOXTD4mV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5iD8brqXEEefkYX4v12eypBPZZuAcCjqmL2mgNjWf998wQScFzOTyxpDVQcw_aem__lGYBxPXY94NnCOgtlY0gQ =1786759560
一年一度的中元节又到来。随着网络平台和社交媒体普及，官方和民间团体都在各平台陆续发布关于中元节的信息，内容围绕中元节的来源、习俗、禁忌等等。姑且不论信息是否完全正确，但名称的英译却值得深思。
