Getai singer Yuan Jin burning joss paper before she takes the stage at a getai performance at an open field in Yung An Road. The Hungry Ghost Festival, which takes place in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, officially started on Tuesday. During this time, it is believed that the gates of the netherworld are opened for spirits to roam the world. People burn offerings and lay out food for these spirits. Getai performances are also organised as entertainment for both the living and the dead.