Inflation Hits Ghost Festival Ceremonies

Rising costs have forced organizers of Ghost Festival banquets to cut back on spending.

Transcript

00:00Tables and tables of lavish offerings, a feast for spirits from the underworld.

00:05Tradition holds that the spirits come back late each summer.

00:08To keep on their good side, people put on ceremonial banquets for them.

00:13But this year, the rising cost of living means some are having to cut corners.

00:18The rural central Taiwan town of Huwei was once known for its so-called Mountain of Meat,

00:23but this time around, the pigs are rentals.

00:26This vendor, who didn't want to be filmed, says a whole pig now goes for over US$370,

00:31but he says he's lent them for the ceremony for just US$130 apiece.

00:36The organizing committee says it's just not economical to provide such rich fare as in past years.

00:42They've even turned to other meats to keep under budget.

00:56Agriculture officials say pork is a more time- and resource-intensive meat,

01:00and that strong seasonal demand is also affecting supply.

01:04Pork needs to be kept for half a year,

01:07and chicken needs to be kept for a month or two.

01:11Recently, there's been less pig meat because pig farms are under construction.

01:15Now is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it's a year-on-year holiday.

01:20The biggest demand is on holidays.

01:22But it isn't just pork.

01:24Forecasters at think tank CIER expect the consumer price index to rise 2.16% this year,

01:31slightly lower than last year, but high enough to see people thinking about cutting costs however they can.

01:37Even the afterlife may not be able to escape the pinch.

01:41Leon Lien and John Van Triest for Taiwan Plus.