Though Taiwan’s daily local COVID case count has stayed down in the single digits for some time, people here aren’t ready to let their guard down. In one Chiayi County village, gatherings of all kinds are still off the table—even gatherings of ghostly spirits.
In Taiwan, many believe that the ghosts of the departed return to haunt the earth for a month-long period in the late summer. Among the old traditions observed in rural Taiwan during this ghost month is the hoisting of lanterns on poles several stories high. These serve to guide the ghosts to places where they can expect to receive offerings-- and keep them from bothering the living.
This tradition is especially strong in the Chiayi County village of Dongshi, where both the local temple and ordinary households light these lanterns each night, creating a glowing spectacle.
But not this year. With COVID-19 not yet eradicated, locals have drastically cut back on the number of tables normally piled with offerings to the ghosts: while usually, there are over a thousand, this year there are just 64. The idea is to prevent people from crowding together for the usual ceremony in which the offerings are presented to the ghosts.
And the lanterns are staying down this year too, because locals feel that in a time of COVID, even the spirits must observe social distancing.