fachuan

Buddhism

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June 26, 2026

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The term "fachuan" refers to paper "boats of the law" that are burned during the Ullambana festival in China and Japan. This festival is a significant Buddhist observance aimed at remembering the dead and freeing suffering spirits, known as hungry ghosts, to ascend to heaven. The Ullambana festival, also called the Hungry Ghost Festival or Bon in Japan, involves lighting lanterns, monks reciting sacred verses, and making offerings of fruit. This ceremony was introduced to China by an 8th-century Indian monk, Amoghavajra, and later spread to Japan.1

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Buddhism
Ullambana festival
…worshipers in Buddhist temples make fachuan (“boats of the law”) out of paper, some very large, which are then burned in the evening. The purpose of the celebration is twofold: to remember the dead and to free those who are suffering as pretas, or hungry ghosts, so that they may…
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…worshipers in Buddhist temples make fachuan (“boats of the law”) out of paper, some very large, which are then burned in the evening. The purpose of the celebration is twofold: to remember the dead and to free those who are suffering as pretas, or hungry ghosts, so that they may…
Read More