ID :
199077
Thu, 08/04/2011 - 08:31
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/199077
The shortlink copeid
STRING PUPPET SHOWS IN DEMAND DURING HUNGRY GHOSTS FESTIVAL
GEORGE TOWN (Penang, Malaysia), Aug 4 (Bernama) -- Despite attracting little or no interest from the public, the Chinese string puppet shows are still in demand among temples now celebrating the Hungry Ghosts Festival.
The Penang Island Teong Guan Association, the lead organiser of Hungry Ghosts celebrations in the state, says that television and the Internet have done their part to keep people away from the shows.
Association adviser Lim Yam Koi said that he had observed several times the puppet shows being performed before no audience at all.
"These days the temples engage string puppet troupes to stage shows only for the gods and spirits," he said.
"But we encourage our members to organise the shows to preserve our
culture."
Lim said that many association members complain that puppet show troupes are very hard to find.
"I think there are now only two or three of the troupes left in Penang, and it is also too costly for the association to get troupes from China," he said. A local troupe usually charges about RM1,000 (US$336) a night.
Chinese operas too have been losing their audience, with only the senior citizens knowing how to enjoy the shows.
"Only senior citizens who come to the temple for the celebrations would stand in front of the stage to watch a Chinese opera," he said. A Chinese opera cost about RM2,000 (US$671) a night to stage.
In contrast, Lim said, stage shows or "ko tai", which may cost about RM5,000(US$1,679) a night, attract a lot of people because they offer the latest hits and include scantily clad showgirls in the performance.
GHOST-FESTIVAL
A check showed that hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people are willing to stand in front of the stage to watch the shows at street corners in the city and in open space in the suburbs.
The Hungry Ghosts Festival is celebrated in the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar by Chinese communities mostly in southern China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
They believe that the "gates of hell" are opened during this month to let out the hungry ghosts who then wander to forage for food on Earth.
Mid-way through the festival, food is offered and paper money and incense are burnt outside the house to placate the spirits of the dead ancestors and to ensure good luck.
Chinese operas and puppet shows are held for the wandering spirits.
-- BERNAMA
The Penang Island Teong Guan Association, the lead organiser of Hungry Ghosts celebrations in the state, says that television and the Internet have done their part to keep people away from the shows.
Association adviser Lim Yam Koi said that he had observed several times the puppet shows being performed before no audience at all.
"These days the temples engage string puppet troupes to stage shows only for the gods and spirits," he said.
"But we encourage our members to organise the shows to preserve our
culture."
Lim said that many association members complain that puppet show troupes are very hard to find.
"I think there are now only two or three of the troupes left in Penang, and it is also too costly for the association to get troupes from China," he said. A local troupe usually charges about RM1,000 (US$336) a night.
Chinese operas too have been losing their audience, with only the senior citizens knowing how to enjoy the shows.
"Only senior citizens who come to the temple for the celebrations would stand in front of the stage to watch a Chinese opera," he said. A Chinese opera cost about RM2,000 (US$671) a night to stage.
In contrast, Lim said, stage shows or "ko tai", which may cost about RM5,000(US$1,679) a night, attract a lot of people because they offer the latest hits and include scantily clad showgirls in the performance.
GHOST-FESTIVAL
A check showed that hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people are willing to stand in front of the stage to watch the shows at street corners in the city and in open space in the suburbs.
The Hungry Ghosts Festival is celebrated in the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar by Chinese communities mostly in southern China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
They believe that the "gates of hell" are opened during this month to let out the hungry ghosts who then wander to forage for food on Earth.
Mid-way through the festival, food is offered and paper money and incense are burnt outside the house to placate the spirits of the dead ancestors and to ensure good luck.
Chinese operas and puppet shows are held for the wandering spirits.
-- BERNAMA
