An elderly woman is beggaing at the street of China's Chengdu city in Sichuan province. This photo is not related to the story.[Photo/IC]

Festival of beggars

In many Chinese wuxia novels, there are groups of gangsters called beggar gangsters – large groups of beggars roving around together. Well, you can see them in real life every 28th day of the third month of the Chinese lunar year in Dali, Yunnan province, just like in the novels.

According to local tradition, Yama, the king of death, will open the gates of hell to release the spirits of the dead for living people to worship on that day. People go to the local temple with sacrificial offerings and believe there will be more luck and blessings if they do good deeds, like giving alms to beggars.

Hence the beggars gather here every year on this date, expecting to receive more alms than usual.

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