Who are the Gods and Ghosts at Keelung’s City God (Chénghuáng, 城隍) Parades in Mid-Autumn? 

Searching for Moon Goddesses, Finding Celestial Maidens.

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Author: Tang Long. 

Local Cultural Advisor: Mila, S. Pictures by: Olivia, Tang Long & Zhong. 

Figure 1A.] (Above) Celestial Maidens (Lasses of the Divine Court). Heavenly Palace Corridor – [Photoshop by Tang Long].

Abstract

After recording the night parade on the 14th night of the 8th lunar month, and the day parade on the 16th day of the 8th lunar month. I conclude that these parades, whilst situated around the harvest moon on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, exist unconnected to the Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhōngqiū Jié, 中秋節) and the Moon Goddess (Cháng’é, 嫦娥) legacy; thus, they are dissimilar to the original and current mainstream mid-Autumn traditions (Xinhua, 2024). Despite the 14th,15th and 16th of the 8th lunar month historically being one period commonly known as the Zhōngqiū Sānxī (中秋三夕)(the three mid-Autumn nights)(Su, 1961). Keelung’s parades were also distinctly different culturally from the Dragon Dance (WǔLóng, 舞龍) celebrated in Hong Kong between the 14th and 16th of the 8th lunar month (Liánhuā Gōng, Hong Kong Island, 2024). Whilst Keelung’s City God (Chénghuáng, 城隍) parades were also distinctly different from the original City God parades, which are traditionally held during the 5th lunar month for the City God’s birthday (Faure and Liu, 2016; XiáHǎiChéngHuáng, Taipei, 2026). Keelung’s City God parades are an extension of Ghost Month (GuǐYuè, 鬼月)(Hernan and Mila, 2020), which had occurred and passed one lunar month earlier, thus making it unique. Citing the City God parades as acts of cleansing (Zhong, 2026) and the Mid-Autumn Festival as associated with wholeness or completeness (Li, 2023). This paper uses Jungian perspectives to interlink cleansing and wholeness (Edinger, 1991; Merkur and Mills, 2017), which are both essential components of this unique three-day period. This modern evaluation into multi-narrativity and Buddho-Tao hybridity also includes philosophical insights utilising not only yīnyáng (陰陽), but also archetypes and neuro-science, whilst building on Durkheim’s insights into parades (Pizarro et al., 2022), by contrasting them with the negative psychosocial effects of driving and traffic (Appleyard, 1980; Saadaoui et al., 2024). Whilst revealing the identity of the demons, gods, goddesses and ghosts within the City God parades, as they traverse Keelung’s religious landscape.