Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c12.s1.t2.21

v2.c12.s1.t2.21

**Ullambana Festival** (15th Day of the seventh lunar month) was a traditional Chinese festival and was named “Zhongyuan Festival” by Daoists, and “Ullambana Festival” by Buddhists. Meanwhile, the summer retreat of Buddhist monks was dismissed, and it was also called “Pavarana Day”. Under the influences of Buddhism, common people called this day as “Ghost Festival”. Ullambana Festival originated from Buddhism, and was based on the Ullambana Sutra. Imperial family in the Tang Dynasty attached more importance to it than Buddha’s Birthday Festival on April 8 in order to show filial obedience, and it promoted Ullambana Festival all over the country to propagate filial piety.