Qianggu festivals have been held at irregular intervals since the Qing Dynasty, but were stopped for 43 years after some climbers died in 1946. They were not held again until 1991, and since then also not on a regular basis.
自清朝以來，搶孤活動不定期舉行，然而在民國 35 年時，發生搶孤手墜落傷亡事件，頭城搶孤便停辦長達 43 年，直到民國 80 年才又復辦，但其間仍是斷斷續續、時辦時停。