Central at Blue Hour, Hong Kong
Musicians on Main Street
Musicians play the houguan, chinese pipe
Unicorn Dance
A unicorn dancer moves through the island's main street passed a small makeshift shrine and ghost offering
Lion Dancer
A young lion dancer moves through the island's narrow main street
Unicorn Pose
A unicorn dancer poses for a photograph in the island's main street
Villager Worship
Villagers come out of their houses and shops to place joss sticks and appease the wandering ghosts
Thirsty Work
Three youngsters on the drum take some refreshments as the parade moves through the narrow main street
Lion Head
Lion dancers change positions during the parade
Local Offerings
The villagers prepare offerings of fruit and buns to appease the ghosts as the parade passes their house
Young Unicorn
Youngsters perform a unicorn dance
Kung Fu Boys
Each of the societies on the island are represented. Here, young boys from a kung fu troupe chat as they march
Parade Laughs
All of the villagers involved in the festival join a parade around the island. These men wheel a bonsai tree from the temple
Flower Girls
Young and old alike walk the route despite the heat
Conflagration
The flames quickly devour the body of the ghost king reducing his body to ash. Two men use bamboo poles to ensure that all of his body is burnt. The villagers sound gongs throughout the process to scare away the spirits
Embers
Embers and ash fill the air as the last of Taai Si Wong's body is burnt. He has returned to hell until next year's ceremony.
Flammable
As the flames take hold around his body, a villager throws a lantern onto the flames. All offerings must be burnt at the end of the festival
Final Offerings
Once the King is set alight, the villagers move quickly, pouring rice wine over his body to ensure he his returned quickly to hell
The Burning, Peng Chau
The Ghost King is laid on his back and covered with paper offerings and hell money. The villagers surround him with candles and bottles of rice wine. The head villager prepares to set light to him
Long Live the King
With the ghosts and spirits departed, Taai Si Wong is taken down from his position at the top of the square and carried to the nearby wharf. Villagers bang gongs to scare away the spiritis
Participants' Name Blessing
Each of the festival participants are read out by the priests
Taoist Priests
After the various blessings using water, paint and fire, the priests prepare for the final blessing
Community Prayers
Members of the local community watch the blessing proceedings whilst a Chinese piper plays in the background
Deity Poster
Small posters of deities are pasted to the walls near the temple and dotted with red paint by the priest
Participant Blessings
The names of the festival participants and donors are pasted to the wall of the temple. The priest blesses them with water.
Unicorn Kids
The main feature of the festival, is a huge parade around the island. Local children practice the unicorn dance
Stripped
In less than two minutes, the food laid out for the ghost banquet has been removed by the villagers in bags and buckets
Return to Reality
Just before 11 o'clock, the priests conclude the prayers and gongs are sounded to signal that the ghosts have departed from the feast. The villagers rush into the banquet site gathering the food.
Ghost Feast
The villagers gather as the time for the end of the ghost feast approaches
Behind the Scenes
Taai Si Wong oversees the finale of the ghost banquet
Praise the Ghost King
The villagers light joss sticks and candles in front of the Ghost King, and place joss sticks around the ghost banquet