Event Overview
Experience a series of traditional Chinese temple festivals in Macau during the seventh lunar month, celebrating deities, folklore, and local customs.
Festival Details
Feast of Hong Kung (Marshal Hong Kung's Birthday) – August 13
- Date: August 13 (7th day of the 7th lunar month)
- Time: Celebrations start at 5:45 PM
- Location: Hong Kung Temple Forecourt Leisure Area
- Activities:
- "Three Neighborhoods Celebrate Hong Kung's Birthday" event
- Nostalgic golden oldies and Cantonese Opera performances
- Special celebratory Poon Choi dinner (6:15 PM – 7:30 PM, MOP 120)
- Note: Phone reservations required for the dinner via the organizer.
- Temple Info: Hong Kung Temple (Bazaar Temple) was built in 1750. Legend says a wooden statue of Marshal Hong Kung washed ashore, leading to the temple's construction. This statue is listed on China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Feast of Maidens (Qi Xi / Chinese Valentine's Day) – August 13
- Date: August 13 (7th day of the 7th lunar month)
- Significance: Celebrates the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl (Zhinü), the seventh daughter of the Jade Emperor, who are allowed to meet only once a year across the Milky Way.
- Customs: Primarily a festival for unmarried women. Devotees make offerings with a "Seven Sisters Tray" and seven types of fruit.
- Suggestion: Visit Lover's Lane next to the Ruins of St. Paul's to try your luck in love.
Feast of Hungry Ghosts (Yu Lan Festival) – August 20
- Date: August 20 (14th day of the 7th lunar month)
- Significance: Believed to be the day when the gates of hell open, allowing ghosts to roam the earth.
- Customs: People place offerings of rice, fruit, and burn paper models on the streets or in front of their homes to appease wandering spirits and pray for peace. This custom remains popular in Macau.
Feast of the Wealth God (Cai Bo Xing Jun's Birthday) – August 28
- Date: August 28 (22nd day of the 7th lunar month)
- Time: Approximately 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Location: Lin Kai Temple (Lotus and Stream Temple) Forecourt
- Activities:
- Thanksgiving ceremony for the Wealth God's Birthday
- Lion dance and martial arts performances
- Note: Please contact the organizer for specific details.
- Temple Info: Lin Kai Temple was built in 1830 (10th year of the Daoguang reign). It enshrines various deities including the Wealth God (Cai Bo Xing Jun), Hua Guang, Guanyin, and Guan Yu, along with vivid and interesting statues of the Sixty Jiazi and the Eighteen Arhats.
Contact Information
Feast of Hong Kung
- Enquiries: (853) 2892 1409
Feast of the Wealth God
- Enquiries: (853) 2832 4622
General Enquiries & Website
Event Period: August 13 – 28, 2013
