Someone left an umbrella hanging on the grill of the library gate. It has been there for a few days. I have waited for the owner to claim it but until today, no one has done so.
The Chinese have a belief that ghosts like to hide in umbrellas during the day as 'they' are afraid of the Yin force of the sunlight.
It is usually a wandering ghost (孤魂野鬼) which will hide in the umbrella. As mentioned earlier, it is believed that ghosts are afraid of light. They usually hide in dark places. And because many Chinese families are Taoists or Buddhists and therefore have invited deities in their homes, or pasted charms on the main doors, the ghosts have to have someone bring them into the house.
I am superstitious and just let the umbrella there. One way to make sure that our umbrellas do not offer shade or refuge to wandering spirits is to open it and then put it under the sun for a few hours. It should be placed with the handle on top with the umbrella opened up like a bowl to collect the sun's rays.
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