This year’s Minsyong Dashiyeh Festival in Chiayi County held last weekend added LGBTQ+ elements to foster a more inclusive celebration, including a “gender-friendly ritual hall” and drag-queen-themed heavenly offerings.
The three-day festival was held from Friday to yesterday in Chiayi County’s Mingsyong Township (民雄).
Celebrated from the 21st to the 23rd day of the seventh lunar month each year, it is considered among the most important Ghost Month festivals in Taiwan, alongside Keelung’s Mid-summer Ghost Festival, the Hengchun Ghost Grappling Competition in Pingtung County and the Toucheng Ghost Grappling Competition in Yilan County.
Photo courtesy of Gisneyland
The festival centers on Da Shi (大士), also known as the “ghost king,” believed to be a manifestation of the Guanyin bodhisattva, with a giant paper-mache statue of the deity enshrined in the main hall for worship.
Celebrants traditionally then chant sutras for three days to appease wandering souls, known as “good brothers” (好兄弟).
This year, the Chiayi County LGBTQ+ Community Health Service Center wanted to celebrate not only the “good brothers,” but make offerings to the souls of all men, women and nonbinary people, allowing them to reside in a “gender-friendly hall,” as opposed to the traditional gender-segregated spaces.
Photo courtesy of Gisneyland
Gisneyland, a nongovernmental organization set up by the Chiayi County Health Bureau, organized a booth at the festival with rainbow-printed lotus flower origami, food offerings arranged into the rainbow Pride flag and a drag queen stage to take the place of a traditional paper effigy stage.
Traditional paper offerings burned to give to those in the afterlife are usually modeled into cars, money or food.
This year, offerings at a dedicated “drag queen show” stall set up by drag artist Deng Bai-bai (鄧百百), who also performed at the event, were fashioned as binders, wigs, perfumes and high heels, so that those who could not express themselves freely in their lifetime would be able to do so in the afterlife.
Photo courtesy of Gisneyland
There were also rainbow-themed snacks, gender-neutral toys and family-themed board games available for children who had passed away.
The festival originally aimed to resolve violent disputes and promote harmony, Gisneyland said, adding that the organization hopes more people would recognize diverse communities and religious folk culture could be more inclusive.
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