[8] Hat Yai had more than 100 vegetarian food stalls during the 2022 festival. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival takes place in the streets of Phuket Town, so visitors can expect to experience a vibrant atmosphere filled with culture and tradition. Perbesar. 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. According to tradition and belief, the purpose of the vegetarian festival is for participants to obtain peace of mind and good health. 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. It used to be 'the little hidden Chinese temple' tucked away at the end of a small path, right under your nose. 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. 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That is where I can best use my software development skills to help the world. These participants self-mutilations have become much more daring and spectacular with each passing year. Close to the tail end of September and budding October, the ninth Chinese lunar month is when Phuket Vegetarian Festival is celebrated. The Nine Emperor Gods should not be mixed up with the Wang Ye or Princes of the Ming loyalists. The local Thai and Chinese community will then bring their offerings of food and drink along with their household gods to the temple in the next few days of the festival. "STREET PROCESSION RITUAL"The Vegetarian Festival celebrates the belief of a Chinese community in Phuket, Thailand. Tourists are advised to stay away from areas that observe this scary and deafening aspect of the celebrations. Vendors and proprietors of restaurants indicate that jeh food is for sale at their establishments by putting a yellow flag out with the word (jeh) written on it in red. In Thailand, this festival is called thetsakan kin che (), the Vegetarian Festival. At the temple they undergo a series of rituals to protect them for the duration of the festival, during which flagellation and self-mutilation is practiced. Noodle dishes, curries and soups are prepared without meat, fish sauce, eggs or dairy. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival begins on the first day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so dates change annually. Not all those hotels are historical, but they have a style that fits the event atmosphere. During this time, there are many food offerings available for visitors to enjoy without having to worry about consuming any animal products. Come join us at Phuket's premier vegan restaurant during the annual vegetarian festival where we have a special dedicated vegetarian menu on offer for all of those following the event. The Thailand Piercing Festical It was the fourth day of The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket Town, Thailand - also known as the Thailand Piercing Festival. In addition to eating pure food, festival participants must keep their thoughts pure and wear white as a symbol of purity. [11] In his research project starting in 2012, Schneider identified the affective states of the Ma Song that reflected a religious frame of submission. While most Bang Neow Shrine in Phuket Town is one of Phuket's oldest and most revered Chinese shrines. Typically the festival is held in autumn, near the end of September and beginning of October. The irony is that real vegetables are hard to find: you mostly will find noodles, deep-fried stuff, and tofu shaped like meat, but no vegetables. One of the performers was sent to China to invite the Nine Emperor Gods (known as the Kiu Ong Iah) to Phuket. The festival runs for nine days and is observed in other Asian countries as well. The Chinese followed the tradition of refraining from eating meat, drinking alcoholic drinks, engaging in sex, quarrelling, telling lies or killing. Participants, both women, and men will pierce their cheeks with skewers and knives, and other similar items. 31. The opera group made a complete recovery and the epidemic ceased. [2] The term Ye () as in Jiu Huang Ye () loosely translates as "Grandfather", a title worshipers commonly use to bring a more intimate relationship between themselves and the Nine Emperors. It is assumed that the household gods will benefit from an annual injection of spiritual energy that fills the temple. You will still see them out during the day. The role of ma song at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a unique and intriguing aspect of the event, and their participation in the spiritual rituals adds an extra layer of cultural significance and tradition to the festival. From the vibrant street processions to the delicious vegetarian dishes, there is something for everyone at this festival. The food offerings at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival are a unique and delicious experience, so be sure to sample some of the local delicacies. Today, most Nine Emperor God temples do not acknowledge the existence of Dou Fu Yuan Jun. It is believed that long ago, a famous Chinese Opera band visited the island to perform for the Chinese inhabitants of Phuket. Pregnant women should not attend or watch any of the rituals. 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Phone: 088 169 2595. The festival culminates with a parade featuring colorful floats decorated with lanterns that are carried through the streets accompanied by music and chanting. 7.Tien-shih Protein substitutes allow these vegetarian dishes to taste, and look like and replace fish, chicken, and pork in Thai cuisine. Then for the past 29 years, my passion for photography has taken me to every corner of Thailand. 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. 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. 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Also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, the festival is celebrated by Daoists throughout Thailand in areas with large populations of . What is the vegetarian festival in Thailand? Joss sticks and candles are lit before placing the Gods in the temples. So why not drop me a line today and start planning your dream Thai adventure! After graduating from the univesity of language in Hanoi, I started the exploration with a travel agency and learning more about travel, especially responsible travel. The purpose of this practice is a mixture of veneration for their gods and ancestors, to display their devotion to their beliefs and the trance itself, which has a profound impact upon demeanour for days or weeks after, frequently with devotees appearing exceptionally calm and focused in their day-to-day activities after the festival is completed. Desserts made without dairy products such as mango sticky rice or banana fritters can also be found at stalls throughout the city during this time period. 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. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival begins on the first day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so dates change annually. During this festival, people abstain from eating meat and other animal products for nine days as a way to purify their bodies and minds. Consider before continuing. Along with the restrictive vegan diet, they also vowed to pray to the Nine Emperor God known as the Kiu Ong Lah, for the reason of cleansing their body and soul. It is an occasion when Buddhists go to the temple to perform merit-making activities, such as alms giving, meditation and listening to teachings. Full Moon Party in Thailand: The Ultimate Guide to Koh Phangans Iconic Event! What is Nine Emperor Gods Festival? Road: Buses to other regions of Thailand including Bangkok, Krabi, Phang Na and Surat Thani operate at the BKS terminal located just off Thanon Phang Nga in Phuket Town. During this time, locals observe a strict vegetarian diet and take part in various religious ceremonies such as processions with ornately decorated floats and firewalking rituals. The festival is famous for its vegetarian food (of course, the rather noisy and spectacular processions, and the fire-walking displays. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a unique event that takes place annually in Thailand and draws visitors from around the world. 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Many streets are closed off to traffic during the festival period so that people can enjoy the festivities without disruption. Experiencing the festival for the first time is life-changing as it really needs to be seen to be believed. Phuket Town A Walking Guide to Old Phuket Town Rang Hill in Phuket Born in France a long long time ago, I started to travel the world early and never stopped until I settled in Thailand in 1994. The town has a number of major Chinese Shrines and a lot of the restaurants replace their menus during the festivities to only do vegetarian dishes. You can observe and even participate in the lighting of joss sticks and candles, before placing them around the various gods. During the main ritual at the temples, the Ma Song fall into a trance and pierce their cheeks with ritual objects, including knives, spears, relics, and other items of personal significance. This year, the event will take place from 15th to 23rd October 2023. Inland Empire IE Vegan Sundays. While most people may see walking on fire as something that is dangerous, devotees are confident that those who are purified and cleansed by the fire will come out unharmed. Participants believe that their household gods will be benefiting from the yearly infusion of spiritual power from the temples. A carnival-like atmosphere pervades the temple throughout the nine-day festival. 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. 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. The procession walks from an ahm to Phuket town. Weeks before the Vegetarian Festival events, yellow Chinese flags bloom on every roadside and intersection, especially near Chinese temples. 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