Its a celebration of Chinese culture with an emphasis on vegan cuisine, street processions, and other religious rituals. 3.Yuan-shih Tien-tsun The First Principal A few of the major shrines in Phuket for witnessing ceremonies include: The festivities move between various temples throughout the celebration; picking up a schedule of events will help you be in the right place at the right time. 31 Okt 2018, 09:02 WIB. Buses from the Southern Bus Terminal of Bangkok to Phuket are the most reliable and convenient way of travelling between the two cities and take up to 13 hours to reach Phuket. Otherwise it can land you in a mess. We believe you have the right to arm yourselves with as much information as possible before making any decision. Celebrate one of the most famous and spectacular cultural events in Phuket. [4] [5] Shops in Phuket and throughout Thailand display red and yellow jay flags to indicate they are serving appropriate vegan food for observant participants. One of the oldest shrines on the island, Kathu Shrine is believed to have been the first shrine to observe the festivities of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. What is Nine Emperor Gods Festival? Typically the festival is held in autumn, near the end of September and beginning of October. Wear white to honor the Nine Emperor Gods. So why not drop me a line today and start planning your dream Thai adventure! The Shrine of the Serene Light, locally known as Sang Tham Shrine, is a beautifully decorated Chinese Temple on Phang Nga Road, one of the most famous streets of Phuket Town. It celebrates a gathering that was held between the Buddha and 1,250 of his first disciples, which, according to tradition, preceded the custom of periodic recitation of discipline by monks. According to an early-nineteenth-century interpretation of Chinese Taoism by a local community of Chinese immigrant miners, the Nine Emperor Gods descend from poles located in the shrines yards and incarnate by using the bodies of the participants as shells for walking on Earth. The festival is famous for its vegetarian food (of course, the rather noisy and spectacular processions, and the fire-walking displays. Anyway, Phuket is a small island, so wherever your hotel is, you are not far from the old streets where the procession looks the best. All acts of Sexual intercourse must be avoided during the festival. Many restaurants across Phuket offer special menus for vegetarians during this period so its easy to find something delicious no matter what your dietary preferences may be. Also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival or the Kin Jay Festival, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event celebrated primarily by the Chinese community in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. Observe proper hygiene practices to maintain the purity of the festival. From Thailand, it spread to other South and Southeast Asian countries. Since then, the people of Phuket have continued to celebrate the festival. . Mio Cade on Flickr, Phuket, Thailand Fire Walking on Vegetarian Festival 2013, Jamie Monk on Flickr, Crossing the Bridge, Bertrand Linet on Flickr, Farewell ritual at the Phuket Vegetarian festival 2015. Basic Thai Phrases: Learn the Basics for Your Holiday! Keep yourself clean throughout the festival. The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket typically lasts for nine days. You have to refrain from all sorts of intoxication. Save Long Beach Vegan Festival VIP Pass to your collection. It is celebrated annually during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, usually falling between late September and early October. Text and Photos are Copyright Phuket 101 and Willy Thuan 2011 - 2023 - Copy or use of images or texts without written authorization is strictly prohibited (Credit to or mention of the blog does not constitute authorization). The Colorful & Traditional Kyaukse Elephant Dance Festival, The Colorful and Magical Naga New Year Festival in Myanmar, The Magical Thadingyut Festival of Light in Myanmar, The Story of Burmese Longyi - Myanmars Traditional Dress, Top 15 best traditional Laos dishes you need to try, Top 15 Festivals in Vietnam that you should not miss, Top 16 Traditional Festivals in Myanmar That You Cannot Miss, Top 18 Places for New Years Eve 2021 in Thailand, Ultimate guide for Tazaungdaing or Taunggyi Fire Balloon Festival, Vang Vieng Prepares for First Cabbage Festival, Vietnam & Laos listed as Safest For Travel by CDC (USA). White clothes must be worn during the festival. Ma song are typically chosen by the community and undergo a rigorous selection process. Sat, Jun 25, 11:00 AM. The Chinese followed the tradition of refraining from eating meat, drinking alcoholic drinks, engaging in sex, quarrelling, telling lies or killing. This is mostly because the festival involves self-mutilation by a few participants in order to show their loyalty to their Deities aside from adopting a special diet for the duration of the festival. Ultimately, the goal of the festival is to express the happiness of the people who survived a 19th-century deadly disease and to honour the gods who heeded their call for help. To really see the festival at its best, you'll want to go there. The best place to celebrate Vegetarian Festival in Bangkok is in Chinatown, where youll see rows upon rows of stalls selling all kinds of vegan and vegetarian dishes, many of which feature mock-meat made from non-animal products but look and taste like them. Participants who wish to be forgiven of their transgressions and to repent should prepare a monetary offering and a paper cutout of themselves before doing the ceremonial bridge-crossing ritual. The festival features more than 40 vendors, many of whom are local to the San Diego and LA areas. Train: Although there are no direct trains to Phuket, one can travel on trains going from Bangkok to Singapore and get off at Phun Phin railway station. There are over 40 chinese shrines in Phuket and all of them take out a parade during the festival. The participants who prepare to volunteer their bodies to the gods are called the Ma Song. There's a magic about this charming yet confounding kingdom that casts a spell on visitors. Soups are another common dish served during the festival; they often contain vegetables, herbs, and spices simmered together in a flavorful broth base. When the main festival starts, a crowd of worshipers, all dressed in white or yellow, gather at Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town for the first event marking the ceremonys opening: a giant bamboo pole rising to invite divinities to come down to earth. Get ready to wait and feel the heat for an hour or so: you have to save a place near the burning charcoal early not to have anyone in front of you, which means sweating for at least an hour. The Nine Emperor Gods should not be mixed up with the Wang Ye or Princes of the Ming rebels. The street is filled with dense smoke and the loud noise of fireworks. For starters, the festival should start on the very first day of the Chinese lunar calendars ninth month. It is celebrated throughout the entire country, but the festivities are at their height in Phuket, where over the half of the population is Peranakans. Devotees come out in bright traditional Chinese costumes and carry their household Gods to the big temples. Check out all the must-see places and things to do & see, Unique experience combined with top-notch services, Easy excursion combined with week-long beach break, Easy excursions combined with unique experience making the long-lasting romantic memories, The combination of fun and educational activities, Explorethe least visited destinations and unknown experienceon foot, Reveal off-the-beatentrack routes, least explored destinations, and unknown tribe groups, Explore every corners of the destination on two wheels, The combination ofsome must-see experience and the cruise tour along the mighty rivers. This dish comes with chicken or pork for the rest of the year. An annual event, the vegetarian festival is a misnomer and is primarily celebrated by the Chinese communities in Thailand.It goes on for nine days and is considered to be one of the most bizarre and extreme festivals in the country. It always has been my favourite Phuket event / festival and I always used to take too many photos! These rituals are seen as acts of spiritual devotion and self-mortification, and are believed to bring good fortune and blessings to the community. The festival celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants will help them obtain good health and peace of mind. The masong tradition which is similar to Tng-ki also exist among the Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia during this festival. Participants usually walk on hot coals or pierce their cheeks with swords! Injuries during the festival, though, are mostly caused by the firecrackers being indiscriminately used by the festival participants. Long Hua, the 35th generation Taoist priest from Singapore, honouring the Northern Dipper stars prolongs one's life, eliminate calamities, and absolves sins and past debts of oneself and his family. The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival takes place during the 9th Lunar Month of the chinese calendar. If you are a faint-hearted person, we advise you to not watch these parades as the devotees perform eerie acts of self-mutilation such as slicing their tongues with a sword, piercing their body and face with sharp skewers, etc. Cindy quit her 9 to 5 job to pursue her passion for exploring mesmerizing locations in Thailand. Visit the empty Angkor Wat? According To Priest Long Hua, the 35th Generation Leader of Long Shan Men Taoist Sect (Singapore), honouring the Northern Dipper stars prolongs one's life, eliminate calamities, and absolves sins and past debts of oneself and his family. Weeks before the Vegetarian Festival events, yellow Chinese flags bloom on every roadside and intersection, especially near Chinese temples. The festival runs for nine days and is observed in other Asian countries as well. I run Phuket101.net and manage large international online travel guides. Location: Phuket Town. Running for nine days, the vegetarian festival in Phuket is considered by many to be the most extreme and bizarre of festivals in Thailand. The first event is called the Raising of the Lantern Pole, which notifies the 9 Chinese gods of the start of the festival. Explore the Wonders of Scuba Diving in Thailand! The festival culminates with a grand procession on the last day where participants carry decorative floats around town before returning to their temples for blessings from monks. Out a parade during the festival is filled with dense smoke and the loud noise of fireworks of Phuket continued! 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