Incense, ghost lamps, food and wine draw ghosts to a narrow lane near the temple. Once the ghosts have assembled, Taoist priests sit at the end of the lane, solemnly chanting incantations. Towards midnight, one checks the ghosts have had their fill, then an effigy of the god of the underworld is burned, taking the ghosts with him. Elsewhere are temples to Tin Hau, goddess of fishermen, with dingy interiors smelling of incense. The island is home to a substantial fishing fleet.
Some boats fish locally.
But most range far from Hong Kong, down to the Philippines and even Indonesia, on trips than can take four weeks or more. At Chinese Year, they throng the harbour, their masts strung with flags, as families celebrate together. Once this festival is over, the harbour swiftly empties. Thanks partly to the beach, Cheung Chau is popular with Hongkongers, who arrive for the day, sometimes on overnight visits. In high summer, the beach can be pretty well packed.