The Ghost Festival is celebrated by Chinese on the 7th month of the Chinese lunar month. In Chinese tradition , the entire seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month, in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.

Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense , and burning joss paper , a papier-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. In Penang, there are many stages will put up for Chinese Opera and other sort of performance. The opera is set up to entertain the ghosts and spirits as you can spot that most of the seats in front of the stage are vacated. Due to that, you are advised not to take that "special seats".