"Kam Tin village in Hong Kong's New Territories made history this month, earning recognition from Guinness World Records for building the world’s largest temporary bamboo altar. The impressive structure was revealed at this year's Jiao Festival, a traditional Taoist ceremony held once every decade. Footage from the event shows the altar towering above the village as the centrepiece of a week-long celebration of heritage, faith, and community. Covering nearly 42,000 square feet, the altar is roughly two-thirds of a football field, standing about 30 metres tall. "This altar took two months and 19 craftsmen to build," Tony Tang, a resident involved in the project, said. The structure was assembled using about 30,000 bamboo poles and 3,500 wooden beams and was designed specifically for the Jiao Festival, which the village holds every 10 years. "This altar has become famous and has even been on television," Tang added. One of the festival's key rituals involved the procession of a towering 'King Ghost' effigy, known as Da Shi Ye, which is carried through seven nearby villages. In Taoist and folk tradition, Da Shi Ye is regarded as a guardian spirit tasked with controlling wandering ghosts, protecting the living, and restoring balance between the human and spirit worlds. The Jiao Festival, also known as Taiping Qingjiao, dates back to 1685. It was originally established to give thanks to Qing Dynasty officials who helped villagers and to honour those who died during that period. Held from December 13 to 19 this year, the bamboo altar first served as a ritual hall for Taoist ceremonies before being used as a stage for opera and other performances offered to the deities."