NGOs, bookstores to hold bazaar, Ghost Month event on Taipei streets

Taipei, Aug. 2 (CNA) Taiwanese independent bookstore To-uat Books will hold a "Spirit of Books" bazaar on Qingdao East Road in Taipei's Zhongzheng District on Aug. 15 that will highlight Taiwan's Ghost Month traditions and look at the country's future.

The event will bring together 19 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 17 other independent bookstores and publishers.

The participating NGOs will showcase the public issues they support, while the bookstores and publishers -- described by the organizers as keepers of "Taiwan's democratic and cultural memory" -- will present curated book selections.

Eight folk arts groups will also be on hand to give visitors a chance to experience traditional Taiwanese culture through face painting and other activities, according to the event organizers.

Starting at 7 p.m., a "Zhongyuan Pudu" evening ceremony will be held, featuring collective prayers and other cultural rituals. Indigenous singer Ilid Kaolo is also scheduled to perform.

Zhongyuan Pudu is a traditional Ghost Festival ritual held to honor spirits believed to be released from the underworld during Ghost Month. This year's Ghost Festival falls on Aug. 27, while Ghost Month runs from Aug. 13 to Sept. 10 on the lunar calendar.

Chang Hui-ju (張慧如), owner of To-uat Books, told reporters that the event aims to bring together people who care about democracy, human rights, culture and Taiwan's future to answer the question: "What kind of Taiwan do we want?"

Chang said the inaugural event last year received an enthusiastic response.

This year's edition will center on Taiwan in 1946 -- one year after the Kuomintang took control of the island following World War II and one year before the February 28 Incident, the 1947 crackdown on anti-government protesters.

The event will begin at 3 p.m., with stalls set up along Qingdao East Road starting from its intersection with Zhongshan South Road. That section of road will be closed to traffic during the event.