The water lantern ceremony of the Ghost Festival was held in Keelung, northern Taiwan. Participants lit paper lanterns on a shore struck by heavy waves and set them out to sea.

The rite is understood to guide the souls of those who died in water. Lanterns are floated to light their way, followed by a universal deliverance ceremony honouring spirits who receive no offerings.

The Keelung festival has a history of nearly two centuries. It is said to have originated after bloody clashes in the mid-19th century between migrant communities from Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, in an agreement to replace armed confrontation with competition in ritual.

From that grew the practice of surname clan associations taking turns each year as principal sponsor. It is frequently cited as a case of designing coexistence by changing form rather than by eliminating rivalry.

The festival is designated an intangible cultural asset of Taiwan and runs across several days in the seventh lunar month, with lantern processions, the water lantern release and the deliverance ceremony.

High seas this year prompted a substantial increase in safety personnel, and organisers repeatedly asked spectators to remain within designated areas.