Several highlight occasions center on spirit worship within Shenism, weaving together ancestor veneration, local deity rites and offerings to wandering souls.

1. Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Jie)
   Falling on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, this is the marquee date for propitiating hungry ghosts. Streets and temples are dressed in red lanterns; paper effigies and “spirit money” are burned to guide restless spirits. In cities from Beijing hutongs to Kaohsiung alleys, outdoor performances known as yinyue (ghost opera) bring communities together—sometimes drawing younger onlookers hooked by viral TikTok clips of midnight shows.

2. Qingming Festival (Pure Brightness)
   While often labeled an ancestor‐focused day, Qingming (early April) also invites prayers to lesser deities and local earth spirits. Families sweep graves, leave incense sticks, fresh fruit and tea by hillside shrines. Lately, eco-friendly paper offerings—seed-embedded joss paper—have grown trendy among green-minded devotees.

3. Land and Mountain Deity Birthdays
   Countless villages mark the birthdays of Tudi Gong (Earth God) or the local mountain spirit with processions, lion dances and communal feasts. For example, on the 2nd day of the second lunar month, many rural temples hold pounding drums and firecracker parades, flushing out malevolent forces and ensuring fertile fields.

4. Shehui or “Community God” Gatherings
   Usually tied to the agricultural calendar, these temple fairs celebrate tutelary “she” spirits that protect fields. Modern versions blend night markets and light installations—showcasing a fusion of age-old folk belief and Instagram-ready lantern art.

5. Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang)
   On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, outings to high places honor mountain spirits and ward off illness. Chrysanthemum wine, huddled atop a misty peak, doubles as a symbolic offering to both ancestral and wild spirits roaming the realms between earth and sky.

Recently, a revival of local temple rituals—spurred by post-pandemic nostalgia—has reinvigorated these events. Street banners, live-streamed incense ceremonies and community potlucks all underscore how Shenism’s spirit festivals continue to pulse vibrantly through modern Chinese life.