"Qiang Gu" competition to wrap up Hungry Ghost Festival

The three-day Hungry Ghost Cultural Festival held its main event,

the "Qiang Gu," or Scrambling for Offerings, open competition, at Victoria Park.

As the gong sounds,

the Qiang Gu competition begins.

Five people stand on the Qiang Gu platform,

tossing out bags of blessed rice.

Everyone else stays inside the catching area,

holding Gu Cheng, which are bamboo catchers, to grab as many bags

of blessed rice as possible.

The one who catches the most wins.

Qiang Gu originally stemmed from the practice of Shi Gu

-leaving sacrificial offerings for stray spirits

outside homes for the homeless to collect.

Scuffles sometimes broke out,

eventually evolving into a relief activity for the poor.

The competition attracted over 70 teams from Southeast Asia,

the Mainland, and Hong Kong, with more than 400 participants in total.