Phuket vegetarian festival 2020

Fire-walking has been specifically included in the official programme of events for the festival produced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand TATreleased this week.

Across Phuket, especially in the Chinese communities of Phuket City, Thalang and Kathu, Chinese shrines fill up with devotees dressed in pure white. Some perform sacred rituals and physically challenging acts including walking barefoot over hot coals and climbing ladders of sharp blades. To discover a less gory side of the festival, visit some of the hundreds of food stalls that set up around the Chinese temples. Several restaurants around Phuket also switch their menus to vegan fare during the festival. The best place to find vegetarian food during the festival is in the Phuket Old Town area.

Phuket vegetarian festival 2020

Visiting Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Always look for the silver lining. While I spent a couple of months mostly quarantined in my apartment, by June Thailand had effectively opened up. This meant there was time to explore parts of Thailand I had not been to before. The added bonus is Thailand had shut its doors to the 40 million tourists who annually visit the Kingdom. The benefit was I was able to visit places with virtually no foreign tourists combined with the occasional discount as well. While perusing the calendar I noted that the Phuket Vegetarian Festival was taking place in mid-October. This event had always been on my list, but I had always been out of the country during this festival. This year was different. The name can be a bit deceiving. Yes, adherents consume vegetarian meals, actually vegan during the festival, but that is not one will recall after attending this nine-day event.

This meant there was time to explore parts of Thailand I had not been to before. At some of the shrines, masongs also demonstrated their dedication in a cavalcade of fire walking.

Known as:. Nine Emperor Gods Festival. Phuket Vegetarian Festival is the annual nine-day event, celebrated by the Chinese Hokkien descendants across the island for the purposes of physical well-being, spiritual cleansing, merit-making, conferring good luck in the future, and ensuring prosperity and long life. In , when Phuket inhabited mostly by Chinese miners, the unnamed epidemic was spreading in Kathu Town and caused several deaths. Among many patients, some of them were the members of an opera troupe from China. In hope of finding a cure, the Chinese opera troupe started and led the locals to abstain from eating meat and prayed to the Jade Emperor God and the Nine Emperor Gods for a period of 9 days and 9 nights, as they used to practice during the ninth Chinese lunar month when they were in China.

Last Updated on October 21, by Christine Kaaloa. Although the vegetarian festival is held nationwide throughout Thailand, Phuket Town is the place that the festival culminates with spectacles and feats. Practitioners must dress in white during the entire period and undergo a strict vegetarian diet, refraining from the eating or killing of animals for meat. One must maintain a clean body and mind during this time, with no sex, drugs or alcohol. Those who should not attend are those in mourning, women undergoing menstruation or pregnancy. The belief is that a purified diet will not only help with better health, but will also strengthen their inner peace and focus on the gods. During this time, mediums called mar song , go into trance to channel their deities one of the Nine Emperor Gods. Thus, there are many dangerous performances, from climbing bladed ladders, sword piercings and fire walking, which shows their test of faith.

Phuket vegetarian festival 2020

If you find yourself in Phuket around September or October, spend some time at a colourful and unique festival. It runs for nine days and is considered a bizarre festival. 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. Participants usually walk on hot coals or pierce their cheeks with swords! This festival can trace its origins to the belief of the Chinese community that abstaining from various stimulants and meat products can help in obtaining peace of mind and good health. These include invoking the gods through different self-mutilating acts such as body piercing and fire walking. The history of this festival may be a bit unclear but it is commonly believed to have been brought by a Chinese opera group that got hit by the Malaria epidemic of the time.

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At one of the shrines I witnessed a ceremonial bridge crossing with emphasis on ceremonial. For the most part despite the number of piercings I witnessed, in most cases there was barely any blood. Devotees observing and taking part will be wearing white to represent the purification of taking part in the festival. The events are spread over multiple shrines centered around Phuket City but as well as the entire island. The masong is then matched with a piercing technician. Sign up to receive your free copy of Photos From Chernobyl. Many shrine keepers beckon the masongs to their table, hopeful to be bestowed with good fortune. At some of the shrines, masongs also demonstrated their dedication in a cavalcade of fire walking. The name can be a bit deceiving. Other masongs opted for multiple piercings of needles across their arms, chest, shoulders, back, and for one masong across his forehead. In my opinion, there are two ways to skin this cat. The masong bring and decide what they will be pierced with. And the posses members act like a pit crew to a race car driver.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival or Nine Emperor Gods Festival happens once a year, during the ninth lunar month, and is one of the most auspicious events on Phuket island. For this unique occasion, a crowd of devotees assemble in every Chinese shrine around the island, followed by an even bigger horde of photographers avid to get the shot of their life. The Vegetarian Festival is an internationally known event, and while it also happens modestly in Bangkok around the same dates, it is mostly a Phuket event.

While praying to the Nine Gods and adopting a vegetarian diet, the group was cured. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For the most part despite the number of piercings I witnessed, in most cases there was barely any blood. In my opinion, there are two ways to skin this cat. Masongs and their posses of varying sizes ply the streets, bestowing blessings on the multitudes of spectators. Among many patients, some of them were the members of an opera troupe from China. Click here to go back to the previous page. In other words, a truly fantastic and unique experience. The piercing is not a dainty needle but of a size that makes your stomach queasy. Bring your camera with a lot of extra batteries. Next, they share some words of prayer, wave their flag around, and grab pieces of fruit which they present to members of this tabletop shrine. Marshmallows not included. I stared at him in disbelief as he appeared to be in apparent pain and discomfort and his shook his leg.