Kuala Lampur, Sept. 3 -- GEORGE TOWN, Sept 3 - Penang has gazetted the Teong Guan Phor Thor, or Hungry Ghost Festival, as a state heritage item under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011, recognising a traditional celebration observed by more than 200 groups across the state.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government approved its nomination on April 8, before it came into force as Penang heritage on June 25.

The Hungry Ghost Festival is observed during the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, when Buddhists and Taoists conduct rituals to honour ancestors and spirits believed to roam during the period.

The festival also involves local communities and traders setting up Tai Su Yeah, or King of Hell, tents ...