Putu, or "the passage of universal salvation," is divided into szupu (private ceremonies) and kungpu (temple ceremonies) the latter of which the Keelung Ghost Day Festival is the largest and most famous in Taiwan.

Prior to the official start of kungpu, lantern poles are hung to call the ghosts and in some parts of Taiwan salvation lanterns are placed to illuminate the road for the outcast spirits. For the ghosts of those killed by drowning, water lanterns are released on waterways to lead the way to shore.

Ceremony activities start on the 12th day of the seventh moon with giving ching hsien lanterns, a symbolic gesture of respect from the giver to the recipient. On the 15th, the grand Putu Ceremony begins with festivities including the "Cremation of General Tashih," "chiang ku" or "stealing the lone object," and the Dancing Chung Kui, a spectacular performance at the end of the ceremony filled with the pounding of drums, ringing of gongs, and clouds of incense smoke encircling the devout in prayer.

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