“Guandeng” refers to the lighting of the lamps in specific directions in order to report to the deities to save the ghosts. When the death people are sent to the hell, they will live in the dark and chaos. Therefore, in the session of guandeng, the priests will first light up the lamps in five directions which symbolize the east, south, west, north, and central. Then they will extol the merit of the lamps in each direction to brighten the hell, and report to the immortals and gods to release the ghosts from purgatory. “Sanhua” refers to release the hatred and ignorance of the ghosts through the extolling of flowers. When the ordinary people die, they would inevitably attach to the world sentimentally. For this reason, in the session of sanhua, the priests will first extol different kinds of flowers and then use the blossoming and wilting of flowers as the metaphor of the sufferings and uncertainty of life in order to exhort the ghosts to release their attachment toward the mortal life. Moreover, the death person may have hatred with other people in any reason. In the final part of the ritual, the high priest will dissolve the knot and throw the coins that symbolize the disentanglement of the hatred.
Video
Ritual: Guandeng Sanhua Ke
Production Year:2016
Movie time:01:18:24
Performer: Fung Ying Seen Koon
Producer: Fung Ying Seen Koon