In Japanese folklore, there was a yokai called Korōbi. In the story, the protagonist woke up at night during Ullambana, only to find the courtyard transformed into a fantastical world he had never seen before. Such old lanterns gave people the illusion of returning to ancient times, so it was hardly surprising that they became yokai on deserted nights.
There was another yokai called Aoandon. This lantern was made of blue paper, and people gathered around it to play a game called "Hundred Demons." Each participant had to tell a ghost story. After about a hundred tales had been told, a white-clad girl of seventeen or eighteen would appear. She had once been a player herself, but for some unknown reason she died and became the yokai known as Aoandon.
In India, the birthplace of Buddhism, Ullambana was no longer so popular. At least, Nick had not encountered any related celebrations while traveling in India.
For the people of the southeastern coast, worshipping Mazu was extremely important. Celebrations began several days before Mazu's birthday. Guangzhou, already prosperous, was made even more dazzling with flowers and colorful decorations. Some spectators squeezed onto rooftops, while others pressed one after another against windows, or even lay directly atop walls. The second floor of every house was usually the women's chamber. Young ladies rushed to the windows, waving fans in their hands and displaying their exceptional grace.
Their headdresses revealed which women were older and already married, and which were unmarried girls. Married women generally wore Phoenix headdresses. The Phoenix was a divine bird of Chinese legend. On these headdresses, the divine bird's head faced downward, sometimes hanging as low as the forehead, while its wings spread out toward both temples. Unmarried girls, meanwhile, let the hair at their temples fall loosely against their