Folk belief has it that the gates of the underworld stand open around the Ghost Festival, so you'd better not go out at night.
Tips
culture
One of the three 元 festivals of popular religion: 上元 (the Lantern Festival, 15th of the 1st month), 中元 and 下元 (15th of the 10th month). Buddhists keep the same day as 盂兰盆节 Ullambana, with offerings for the dead.
usage
中元 is the short form, common in writing; in speech people say 中元节 or 七月半 'mid-seventh-month', and the whole seventh month is 鬼月 'Ghost Month'.
