The qianggu is at once carnivalesque and solemn, on the one hand showing compassion to the ghosts and on the other hand seeking after peace for each family. The guiding spirit of the festival is the quest for harmony between the human and the ghostly realms.
搶孤活動既熱鬧且神秘莊嚴，一方面秉著搶救孤魂野鬼的悲憫心情，一方面也祈求闔家平安，主要精神在於強調人鬼共處的和諧。