Huwei Sets 2,000 Sacrificial Tables for Ghosts 「北基隆.南虎尾」 虎尾普渡辦逾2千桌

Yunlin's Huwei held its Ghost Festival with over 2,000 tables of sacrificial items.

Workers set the tables with sacrificial items. The Ghost Festival rite is back in full force in Huwei after being suspended for two years.

Huwei Resident: “We hope all the ghosts will come. They are on vacation, so we are making offerings to them with the purest of hearts this month.”

Huwei Resident: “It was suspended for two years, so the scale seems bigger this year. We hope this will attract tourists because our businesses aren't doing well.”

The local Ghost Festival culture association says there are seven major areas for Ghost Festival activities, and each has its own theme and characteristics. The sacrifices being offered include 2,000 tables of fruit and ice sculptures.

Wu Chieh-jung, CEO, Huwei Ghost Festival Culture Association: “Everyone is very excited that we are holding the festival this year. The township office is also highly in support of this. So, this year the township office is also holding special Ghost Festival culture events.”

As paper money burning is a huge source of pollution, the Changhua County Environmental Protection Bureau is working with local sanitation teams to collect paper money for collective burning.

Huang Chi-cheng, Sanitation Worker, Yuanlin City Office: “Today is the peak. We will have to collect paper money from at least 20 locations today.”

One Yuanlin sanitation worker says his team has already collected 88 tons of paper money this year, a record.

來到虎尾7大普渡區，許多工作人員忙著擺上供品，雖然前2年受到疫情影響停辦，但今年恢復「街仔普」，許多民眾與店家都很期待。

虎尾民眾說：「讓我們好兄弟可以大家來，因為他們放假，所以這個月就是澄淨地心供奉他們。」

虎尾店家說：「就是停辦2年，今年好像擴大舉辦，也希望說帶來遊客，因為我們店家也有受影響。」

虎尾中元普渡文化協會表示，普渡會分成東、西、南、北、中、福德、德興7大區，每一區都有不同主題與特色，普桌超過2000桌，包括有果雕、冰雕等等，希望要讓民眾一起參與傳統普渡文化。

虎尾中元普渡文化協會執行長吳界榮表示：「今年度很多民眾都期待我們能正常舉辦，公所也很贊成正常辦理，所以今年公所也特別辦了很多中元文化季活動。」

另外，為了要維護因焚燒紙錢，恐會讓空氣品質受影響，彰化縣環保局結合轄內各鄉鎮市公所，將紙錢集中焚燒。

員林市公所清潔隊長黃吉城表示：「那今天達到高峰，我們陸續下午至少有20個地方，必須做紙錢集中燒的載運服務。」

員林市清潔隊表示，每到清明、中元節是紙錢清運最多時候，今年累積載運量已經有88公噸，破歷年紀錄，紙錢集中後送往焚化爐，經淨爐科儀祭祀法會，希望降低空汙。