User:Zzzzzyfffff/Gate of the Ghosts

I have made this live! The Gate of the Ghosts, or Devil's Gate, Demon Gate, known as Guimen guan in Chinese, is a pass in the Underworld in Chinese mythology.

The gate is a pailou with the words "Gate of the Ghosts" written on the horizontal plaque. Legend has it that when a person dies and goes to the Ghost Country, he or she must pass through this strict gate.

Use of the Gate
The Gate of the Ghosts plays a significant role during the Ghost Festival, which is celebrated in the seventh month of the lunar calendar in Asian countries such as China. According to Chinese mythology, every year on July 1st, the King of Hell opens the Gates of the Ghosts to allow those who have suffered and been imprisoned in hell all year round to get out of hell. The ghosts get a short-term chance to wander on earth and enjoy the blood of the world. The Gate of the Ghost closes at the end of July, and this month is therefore considered to be an unlucky month. For this month, tradition says that people should neither get married nor move to a new home during this time.

Traditionally, during this time, people would worship and conjure their deceased relatives by burning money ingots and paper candles, putting river lanterns up, and doing other things to pray for the blessing of the ancestors. These actions are believed to have the power to help eliminate disasters and increase blessings, or to save the dead and resolve grievances. Today, the Ghost Festival has become a traditional virtue of filial piety in Chinese culture. People nowadays in Northern China still burn paper money during the festival to pay homage to their ancestors and express their longing for their loved ones. Similar festivals also exist in other cultures; for example, Halloween in Western cultures and the Day of the Dead in Mexican culture.