When heading out for a holiday, some people choose to go hiking or trekking, which allows them to enjoy fresh forest air and get some exercise. It has become one of the most popular leisure activities in recent years. But if you see a pile of bread scattered on the ground while hiking, do not pick it up.
Located in Taichung City and sitting at an altitude of over 2,000 meters, the Daxue Mountain Forest Recreation Area is a favorite spot among hikers. A netizen discovered on a hiking trail that the ground was littered with discarded bread. At first, they were puzzled as to why there would be bread scattered there. Upon asking other hikers, they learned that it was the act of a religious group who were throwing bread on the ground while chanting “Amitabha.”
This behavior has upset many hikers because the decaying bread attracts large numbers of fruit flies and damages the environment. The religious group calls this practice “food offering (for hungry ghosts),” where they throw food on the ground for the wild spirits and demons in the mountains. According to Buddhism, these beings need to be fed before they can attain liberation. During the ritual, the person offering the food must chant a specific spell seven times to bless the offerings, allowing the spirits to consume them before ants or other creatures eat the leftovers.
Many netizens who saw the photos warned, “This bread is meant for wandering spirits—don’t pick it up or it might follow you home.” Others criticized the act for damaging the forest, with comments like “I don’t know who the real filth is here” and “It’s better to donate to the homeless than to perform exorcisms for ghosts.” They hope that if others encounter such behavior in the future, they will try to stop it.