Hong Kong x San Francisco at Hungry Ghost Festival

Celebrations of the Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as Yulan Festival, have a long history in San Francisco Chinatown. Since 2023, the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCC) has presented a contemporary neighborhood interpretation of this important festival.

The 2025 festival, which kicked started on August 8, included the Hong Kong Artists Exchange, an ancillary initiative between CCC and Hong Kong-based Art Together. The month-long program supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco enabled three artists from Hong Kong to explore the intersections of Hong Kong and San Francisco's history, heritage and more, thereby deepening cross-cultural dialogue and global relevancy.

During their visit in San Francisco, the Hong Kong artists - Lau Hok Shing, Hanison, Tang Kwok Hin and Art Together's Cheng Yee Man – hosted a series of events celebrating the Hungry Ghost Festival. Events organized by the artists included the Opening Exhibition “Ember”, “Dao of Hong Kong-style Jiao Festival: Documentary Screening and Ritual Explanations”, “Phantoms of the Haunted Realm: Hong Kong Ghost Storytelling”, “No Taboos: Ghost Talisman Drawing” and “Hundred Families Roasted Rice Tea”. The artists also participated in the Hungry Ghost Parade showcasing their papercraft artworks, namely “Heart. Ablaze”, “Red Chopsticks. Clam the Middle Finger” and “Running Horse”.

Celebrations of the festival also included a special screening of “The Last Dance: Extended Edition” (破·地獄:加長版). “The Last Dance” is the highest-grossing film in Hong Kong breaking box office records when it was released. The film also claimed numerous awards locally and abroad.