【Rituals】 Experiencing the Keelung Ghost Festival
The Ghost Festival in Keelung, maintained for more than a century, is one of the most complete traditional rituals in Taiwan.
From the first day of the 7th lunar month, the Door-Opening Ceremony (kāikānmén) represents the ghosts being able to leave from the realm of the dead;
the 13th day of the 7th lunar month, the clan associations hold a parade called “ying dou deng” in Keelung City, exhibiting dipper lanterns bearing their clan surnames, with a music battle between two music groups: “xi pi” group and “fu lu” group;
the 14th day of the 7th lunar month, go to Wanghaixiang Harbor in Badouzi and understand the deeper meaning of the parade of water lantern release;
to the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, "pu du" shows humanity through the offerings prepared for ghosts…
Every ritual has its own traditional meaning and characteristics. Through our 3-hour tours, we can bring you to the ceremony spots and understand the core values of the Ghost Festival.
【Private Tours】Come and Join us! Get Insight into the History of the Keelung Ghost Festival
We’ve held tours about the rituals of the Ghost Festival, and we keep exploring and piecing together stories of the Ghost Festival in Keelung. Visit and enjoy our in-depth private tours and get insight into the history of the Keelung Ghost Festival.
#Past Private Tours
In 2019: Introduction: The Origin of the Keelung Ghost Festival
In 2020: Never Forget About You: Armed Conflict over Music between “Xi Pi” Group and “Fu Lu” Group in the Festival
In 2021: Combating Pandemic: How Keelung Communities Reacted to Wars, Pandemic and Armed Conflicts One Hundred Years Ago
The Festival FAQ
No. Each tour is linked to a different ritual date, route, and ceremonial focus within the Ghost Festival season.
Please check the departure schedule carefully before booking.
August 25: Dipper Lantern Parade
August 26: Water Lantern Parade Night
August 27: Pudu
Will I see the Water Lantern Release on every tour?
No. Only the August 26 departure includes the Water Lantern Parade and invited procession participation. Guests who wish to continue after the scheduled tour may follow the guide by free shuttle bus to Badouzi, where they can continue experiencing the ritual atmosphere and join clan association activities, depending on live festival arrangements and conditions.
This is a guided walking tour with a moderate amount of walking. Some waiting or standing may also be required in crowded ceremonial areas.
Yes. Tours generally run rain or shine unless weather or official festival arrangements require a change.
Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring an umbrella or light rain jacket. Evening and waterfront departures may also be windy.
In many public areas, yes. However, this is a living ritual rather than a staged performance. Please remain respectful and avoid blocking processions, worshippers, or ceremonial activity.
Because this is a live public festival, minor route or timing adjustments may occur. Your guide will adapt on site as needed.
The Festival Experience
Posted on Tripadvisor
kedark777777 days agoVerified
Amazing walking tours and cultural immersion in KeeLung KeeLung For A Walk is an exceptional choice for walking tours and cultural immersion in Keelung City - I participated in the tours to Badouzi and the Fishing Culture Museum (very interesting and lots of fascinating artifacts to interact with) and the Ghost Festival Lantern Release tour (one of the best walking tours I've ever been on, a night that I will never forget). I recommend choosing them for all your travel needs, and thanks to the KFAW team for an incredible experience!Posted on Tripadvisor
sambI1210DQ1133 days agoIn Depth Walking Tours Done Right I joined a walking tour focusing on the Ghost Month celebrations that Keelung is especially known for. The team and Keelung for a Walk are designing and operating really detailed tours, as well as curating exhibitions and conducting research. If you are looking for guides that really know their stuff, they are a great choice. Thank you!Posted on Tripadvisor
kyiel1141 days ago5 star We were there during the ghost festival month. They toured us around on a walking tour-hike on the mountains on the different recently discovered stations during the war. And they showed us around and we saw the "pudu" ceremonies and the good places to eat. Very interactive. Good english tours.Posted on Tripadvisor
ideptt2610 days agoBenny was the best! We went on the Keelung Ghost Festival walking tour and simply put, Benny was the best tour guide ever! He was very knowledgeable and passionate about Keelung and its history.Posted on Tripadvisor
TJ E3326 days agoExperience the city through the eyes of a local and all the passion that entails As someone who does not typically enjoy highly-structured group tours, I was hesitant to join the KeeLung For A Walk Ghost Festival walking tour but decided to give it a go and am so, so glad I did! The guides were fantastic, so passionate about their city, and appeared genuinely concerned with making sure attendees got what they wanted from the tour. They were thus flexible with the content discussed, allowing plenty of time for questions but also asking at the start what information people were hoping to get out of the tour so they could focus more heavily on those aspects. We were able to benefit from the guides' comprehensive local knowledge and discover hidden parts of Keelung that I have walked past probably 50 times and never noticed: sometimes in the form of hidden laneways and other times by learning the story behind things I would otherwise not have realised were significant. We were also fortunate enough to be taken to see the amazing paper art structures to be burned at Pudu and water lanterns up close, and to make our own clay food item for a Pudu feast. The Ghost Festival tour allowed insight into Taiwan's local religious culture that is difficult to get just from seeing festivals or visiting temples, as well as into Keelung's long, turbulent, and fascinating history. I enjoyed this tour and the insight into the amazing city of Keelung it offered so much that I signed up to attend one of their other tours on the spot.Posted on Tripadvisor
Hui Jun H3376 days agoGhost festival tour The tour organized by Mila was truly amazing! It was my first time in Keelung. I participated in the ghost festival tour. Tourguide Ma brought us to different spots in Keelung. One of the most memorable experiences is the tour to a temple where we watched a traditional Chinese music performance, a vital ritual in the Keelung ghost festival. Furthermore, we also had the chance to watch the art of Mi Diao (use of rice flour to carve out really cute figurines used in the rituals of the ghost festival in Keelung). This tour gave me a really interesting insight into the city of Keelung. I really highly recommend people who are interested in traditional Chinese culture/ ghost festival to come and join the tour!Posted on Tripadvisor
Rey N3423 days agoA great private tour experience! To an inquisitive visitor, each city in Taiwan presents quite unique history. I hired Mila for a full day of walk in Keelung to find out what makes this city unique. She crafted a walking plan but was quick to adapt during the day based on my interests. We jump started the "walk" along the harbor which I learned played a key role in Taiwan history during and even before the Japanese occupation. Then we climbed the hill nestling the Lao Da Gong temple, the site of the annual great feast to appease the ghosts of the sky and the sea. Keelung, I learned, hosts the most festive annual ghost festival in Taiwan. The view from the hill is just magnificent. A tour of the old town revealed traces of the colorful history of this place, from evidence of once thriving logging industry to the old herbal shops, and of course the colorful and quite unique temples. Keelung for a walk is also Keelung for a "wok" as Mila interspersed with the "walk" side trips to local restaurants serving traditional dishes and delicacies. My tour was highlighted by a feast on the Keelung's take on street food- the famous Miaokou Night Market. Keelung has so much history and food experience to offer for such a compact place and Mila made sure that I enjoyed every bit of it.
