Chung Yuan Festival: The Ghosts Approach the President’s Office

It's ghost month here in Taiwan. This morning we received the following press briefing which we've posted below.


Chung Yuan Festival: The Ghosts Approach the President’s Office
News briefing

The seventh month of the lunar year is the time when people traditionally pay tribute to the ghosts of departed souls. While it is known as “ghost month” the true spirit of the tribute is to honor the ghosts, spirits and others who protect the common people and the balance of the ten thousand beings.

Unfortunately we have been witnessing a tendency in policy, words and deeds of the government to enclose the farmers, favoring conglomerates and electronics and petrochemical companies, while ignoring the common people of flesh and blood, leaving environmental debt for the next generation to pay, and leaving the nation in ruins and the people impoverished. One can only conclude that the gods and spirits are very agitated.

Thus, on this day of the Pudu (普渡) ceremony (the 14th day of the Seventh Month of the Lunar Calendar, or 24 August of the solar calendar this year), seeing that the Presidential Office is unable to deal with these ghostly agitators, we have invited NIAN Hsi-chieh, as the “Environmental Grand Taoist Master”, to offer up incantations for this year of the “wooden tiger”. We also invite people from all walks of life to join in the ghost and spirit parade encircling the Presidential Office in a demonstration of the peoples’ utter disgust and disappointment with this sorry excuse for a government.

Time: Tuesday 24 August 2010 2 pm
Place: Presidential Palace (in front of the Taipei Guest House just south and from the MRT National Taiwan University Hospital Station

Sponsoring Groups: Matsu’s Fish Conservation Union (Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association Taiwan, Taiwan Academy of Ecology, Taiwan Sustainability Union, Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, Yunlin County Wild Bird Federation, Changhua Coastal Protection Union), Changhua County Environmental Protection Union, Green Party

Contact: Ms. WU Meng-chun 0963-324676, Ms. GAN Chen-yi 0928-926180

中元節神鬼日行總統府行動
採訪通知

農曆七月是民間習俗裡祭拜亡魂的月份，雖俗稱鬼月，然而心誠則靈，天地神鬼終究會保佑蒼生。但，政府政策圈地滅農、重財團輕庶民、債留子孫、禍國殃民，宛若神鬼亂舞；因此在農曆中元節當天，民間團體發起中元節神鬼日行總統府，請來「環境弘法師」粘錫麟老師獻誦〈庚寅年祭文〉，並廣邀各界「裝神弄鬼」，遶行總統府一圈，一吐人民的怨氣與不滿。敬邀媒體先進蒞臨採訪！

時間：2010年8月24日（星期二）下午兩點
地點：總統府前（台北賓館門口）

發起團體：
台灣媽祖魚保育聯盟（台灣蠻野心足生態協會、台灣環境保護聯盟、台灣永續聯盟、彰化海岸保育行動聯盟、台灣生態學會、雲林縣野鳥學會）、彰化縣環境保護聯盟、綠黨

新聞聯絡人：
吳孟純小姐 0963-324676
甘宸宜小姐 0928-926180

Update:
A few photos- Chung Yuan Festival: The Ghosts Approach the President’s Office