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. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed.[4][5]. Sumber foto: AFP. Phuket gears up for 9-day vegetarian festival. Ma song are individuals who are believed to be possessed by the Nine Emperor Gods during the festival, and they play a central role in the spiritual rituals and ceremonies that take place. Soybean and protein substitute products are used to replace pork, chicken or fish they even look and taste exactly like meat. Devotees not only adopt a special diet for the holiday, a select few participants prove their devotion by practicing self-mutilation. It's a celebration of Chinese culture with an emphasis on vegan cuisine, street processions, and other religious rituals. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. Sat, Jun 25, 11:00 AM. Soups are another common dish served during the festival; they often contain vegetables, herbs, and spices simmered together in a flavorful broth base. Florian Christian on Flickr, Vegetarian festival Phuket, Florian Christian on Flickr, Phuket Vegetarian 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. All acts of Sexual intercourse must be avoided during the festival. There are also performances by local musicians playing drums and gongs to accompany the procession. Sign up for our newsletter to receive special offers, news and great events. Vietnam stops Covid testing for all arrivals, Vietnam to treat foreign and domestic tourists alike: deputy PM. If you find yourself in Phuket around September or October, spend some time at a colourful and unique festival. You can see these everywhere from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to Thailand's many islands. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival begins on the first day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so dates change annually. We post the unavoidable piercing photos everyone has already seen or shot themselves here. The festival is famous for its vegetarian food (of course, the rather noisy and spectacular processions, and the fire-walking displays. The peculiarity of this festival lies in its extreme celebrations that include body piercing, fire walking, climbing tall leaders of sharp blades, throwing firecrackers on the devotees etc. All the Chinese shrines on the island are cleaned, painted, and decorated with Chinese Ancestry inspired decorations. Inland Empire IE Vegan Sundays. Flight: The Phuket International Airport is the second busiest airport of Thailand after the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. We do the research so you dont have to! They believe that by doing so the evil deeds will come up on them and spare the community, bringing them good luck. The festival begins with a parade from Jui Tui Shrine to Sapan Hin, a public park located near the beach. Both air-conditioned as well as non-air-conditioned buses are available at different prices. There is a whole universe of special deals, offers and travel advice online. While large crowds of people gather to watch, the entranced mah song distribute blessed candy and pieces of orange cloth with Chinese characters printed on them yan for good luck. After the gods have passed through the shrine doors, all lights inside the shrine are turned off and access points are closed. Yellow chinese flags are put up in the entire city. Phuket is another 5 hours by bus from Phun Phin, which is located in the Surat Thani Province of Thailand. Many streets are closed off to traffic during the festival period so that people can enjoy the festivities without disruption. What to eat during Phuket Vegetarian Festival? The festival runs for nine days and is observed in other Asian countries as well. During this week, everyone follows ten principles, mostly wear white, do not eat meat, drink alcohol, do not have sexual activities, etc. 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. 5.San-kuan Three Officials Vietnam or Thailand Travel: Which one should you visit? The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket is an annual event that takes place over nine days during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. It celebrates the unique belief of the chinese community in the holiness of vegetarian food. Wednesday, May . 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. During the New Year's celebration, Hmong dress in traditional clothing and enjoy Hmong traditional foods, dance, music, bull fights, and other forms of entertainment. Those in a state of mourning should not participate in the festival. There are participants who-as a medium of God- indulge in the act of self-mutilation. Phone: 088 169 2595. Maintain clean bodies and clean kitchen utensils, using them separately from those who do not participate in the festival. They can also be seen shaking their heads back and forth continually, and usually do not seem to "see" their surroundings. Weeks before the Vegetarian Festival events, yellow Chinese flags bloom on every roadside and intersection, especially near Chinese temples. Visit the empty Angkor Wat? 20 Date Ideas in Bangkok: Romantic, Fun, Unusual, or Free, What to Wear for Rainy Season in Thailand: Essential Things to Pack, Your Ultimate Guide to Visiting Surin Beach, Monitor Lizards in Thailand: Things You Should Know. If you go to Soi 20 of Charoen Krung Road, the area is transformed into an event space full of food stalls and fruit sellers. Not recommended for the faint-hearted, one of the most exciting aspects of the festival are the various, sometimes gruesome ceremonies which are held to invoke the gods. 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. This festival offers live music and games and is family- and pet-friendly. From Thailand, it spread to other South and Southeast Asian countries. Participants wear white clothing to signify purity while taking part in rituals such as fire-walking and body piercing with metal rods or blades. Fireworks are stopped at all the establishments and thrown at the devotees. Tourists are advised to stay away from areas that observe this scary and deafening aspect of the celebrations. Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2022 Image Source Phuket Vegetarian Festival schedule for the year is from 25th September to 5th October in Phuket and holds a plethora of ceremonies and includes the participation of most of the shrines. The temple houses 2 historical images that are believed to bring good luck. 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Not all those hotels are historical, but they have a style that fits the event atmosphere. 3.Yuan-shih Tien-tsun The First Principal What is the vegetarian festival in Thailand? Aside from the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, Phuket also celebrates the Loi Krathong Festival, the Chinese New Year, and the Por Tor, or the Festival of the Hungry Ghost. Srah Srang - Chasing the Sun at the Royal Bathing Pool, Ta Keo Temple - The Mountain with Golden Peaks, Ta Prohm: Cambodia's 'Tomb Raider' Temple, Ta Som Temple - Home to the Propitious Holy Elephant Jewel, Tad Yuang Waterfall Wins ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award, Thailand eases entry rules from May 1st, 2022, Thailand Scraps More Covid-19 Rules to Welcome Tourists, The Best Spots & Tours to Catch Angkor Wat Sunrise & Sunset. This ceremony is usually calm and quiet.However, you can see a lot of buzz later in the week during the parades. Vivid nature, voluptuous landscapes and a vibrant culture collide with a painful past and optimistic future to make Laos an enigmatic experience for the adventurous. How many days do you need and how to plan the best itinerary in Vietnam? Celebrate one of the most famous and spectacular cultural events in Phuket. They are also referred to as Jiu Huang Da Di (The Nine Great Emperors) in the Taoist pantheon. Men and women puncture their cheeks with sharp items, including knives and skewers. The same applies to women who are pregnant or menstruating. Its a place of worship for the local Chinese-Thai community and it plays an important role as the site of the final farewell to the gods during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival Hok Nguan Kong Shrine is a Chinese temple near the Surin Clock Circle in Phuket Town. Get the latest news, inspiring blog articles, or promotion, Boun Bang Fai - Rocket Festival in Thailand and Laos, Buddhist Lent & Khao Phansa Day in Thailand & Laos, Hmong New Year - The Celebration of Colors, Everything you need to know about Magha Puja (Makha Bucha), All about Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Thailand and Cambodia. Where to celebrate Loy Krathong Festival in Phuket? 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. How to register for Test & Go on Thailand Pass system? According to tradition and belief, the purpose of the vegetarian festival is for participants to obtain peace of mind and good health. Even so, most injuries are usually sustained from the indiscriminate use of firecrackers. 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. 7.Tien-shih The annual vegetarian festival will get under way between the first to the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the Chinese calendar. Stages, decorations and parade accessories gather near shrines, and hundreds of food stands are erected nearby. There are also fortune telling booths offering advice from monks or fortunetellers about ones future prospects based on palm reading or astrology readings. One of the performers was sent to China to invite the Nine Emperor Gods (known as the Kiu Ong Iah) to Phuket. At the same time, the devotees will go in procession, self-inflicting all kinds of tortures to shift other worshipers evil onto themselves to bring luck back to the community. People in a grieving period should not attend the festival. Copy Link. The preparation for the festival gears up long before the main day. One of the most popular dishes served during the festival is noodles. Phuket's vegetarian festival traditions include macabre scenes of ritualised mutilation, impaling, cutting, partial skinning and bloodletting, as well as intentional wrapping or standing near fire crackers as they are lit - all without any anaesthetic! To this effect few people ever need to have prolonged medical treatment, and although in the weeks after the festival many people will be seen covered in bandages, scarring is uncommon, stitching, even on individual devotees who impale their cheeks, is rare, and return to daily activity for the devotees occurs shortly after the completion of the ritual, frequently before the festival ends unless performed on the last days, much sooner than before the bandages themselves are removed. WARNING! With our guide, you can find all the best places to stay, eat and enjoy your holiday with ease. On the evening of the festivals last or ninth day, the celebrations end with a farewell and send-off ritual dedicated to the Nine Emperor Gods and the Jade Emperor. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is commonly celebrated from late September to October and the exact dates can change depending on the lunar calendar of the Chinese. Yen Ta Fo () is a pink-coloured soup with noodles served in a broth seasoned with fermented and pungent red bean curd. However, linking to the blog is welcomed. Buddhist Lent Day (Thailand Wan Khao Phansa, Laos Boun Khao Phansa) is the start of the three-month period during the rainy season when monks are required to remain in a particular place such as a monastery or temple grounds. 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. From the vibrant street processions to the delicious vegetarian dishes, there is something for everyone at this festival. . As with any religious festival, enjoy watching, but keep your distance. The role of ma song, or spirit mediums, is an integral part of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Many of these vegetarian dishes aren't easily distinguishable from regular Thai dishes. 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It is believed that long ago, a famous Chinese Opera band visited the island to perform for the Chinese inhabitants of Phuket. The said acts are accomplished by select participants who serve as the gods mediums. Look for yellow flags with red Chinese or Thai characters to find vegetarian food stalls. In 2021 the festival was 5 - 15 October. Some of the feats performed include piercing cheeks with swords, walking on nails or hot coals, and climbing ladders made of knife blades! The Phuket Vegetarian Festival held in autumn - also known under its more Taoist-inspired name Nine Emperor Gods Festival - is no exception. [9], During the festival, food stalls sell Thai and Chinese food made without animal products. Phuket Vegetarian Festival is the most popular in town for a reason. To really see the festival at its best, you'll want to go there. Apart from the visual spectacle of this festival, you can partake in vegetarian dishes, which are sold at street stalls and markets around the island. The ceremonies of the Vegetarian Festival take place in six Chinese temples scattered throughout Phuket, Thailand. Most of them sell noodles, sushi, tofu shaped like meat and other fast foods. The first event is called the Raising of the Lantern Pole, which notifies the 9 Chinese gods of the start of the festival. Tired of reading, listen to our podcast below: The Hmong New Year celebration is a cultural tradition that takes place annually in select areas where large Hmong communities exist and in a modified form where smaller communities come together. Since then, the people of Phuket have continued to celebrate the festival. One example of a popular vegetarian snack is the vegetarian spring roll. During the ritual, devotees will wait in the streets of Phuket town to send God Kiu Ong off to heaven. One of the most popular events during this festival are colorful parades with participants dressed in traditional costumes carrying ornate floats. The festival is associated with some ceremonies that are considered brutal and gruesome. This area is usually closed-off during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival and it is here that vegetarian food stalls abound. Chiang Mai is already packed with vegan and vegetarian restaurants, but for Vegetarian Festival, the city takes things to another level. Though not as well known by visitors as larger Chinese shrines like Jui Tui Shrine in Phukets Old Town area, Sam Kong Shrine is a revered place Sam Sae Chu Hut Chinese Shrine is a modest and discreet Chinese shrine located near the intersection of Khaw Sim Bee Road and Mae Luan Road, on the way up to Khao Rang Hill in Phuket Town; opened in May 2002. During this time, devotees observe a strict vegetarian diet and take part in various religious ceremonies to honor the Nine Emperor Gods. However, Dou Fu Yuan Jun is invoked alongside Dou Mu Yuan Jun in Great Dipper Honouring known as Li Dou () ceremonies. 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. It attracts thousands of tourists annually with most visitors coming from other Asian destinations, especially from China. Along the way, local Thai of Chinese descent prepare food offerings on small tables and receive blessings. Last edited on 17 December 2022, at 16:13, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Celebrating Navaratri and the Nine Emperor Gods festival", "When is the best time to visit Thailand? Presently, it is a public holiday in some of these countries. Devotees dressed in traditional white, carrying incense and candles, await for their arrival. 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. Its truly one of the most unique things you will ever experience. 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. Ma song are typically chosen by the community and undergo a rigorous selection process. I'm a lover of all things adventurous with a particular passion for scuba diving and exploring Thailand's beautiful islands and beaches. Once the 10-metre-tall pole is erected, celebrants believe that the Hindu god, Shiva, descends to bring spiritual power to the event. According to Rev. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is the annual nine-day event taking place during the ninth Chinese lunar month. ), Do not eat food with a strong smell (garlic), Keep and wash cooking utensils separately from those used in the event. Namun, keahlian yang dimiliki orang-orang berikut ini benar-benar langka dan tak biasa. An important procession that draws thousands of devotees to send the Nine Emperor Gods back via waterways. The festival begins with a parade from each participating temple around the city center. These can be found in various forms such as stir-fried or soup-based dishes with vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, and other plant-based ingredients. Since the arrival of the Nine Emperor Gods is believed to be descending through the waterways, processions are held from temples to the seashore or river to symbolize this belief. As such, tourists who fancy eating meat dishes such as steaks or grilled meats wont really be deprived of their protein source during the festivities. Alternatively, simply look for the yellow flags which indicate that a food stall or restaurant is participating in Vegetarian Festival these can be found all around the city, even at 7-Eleven. Don't get in the way of participants who prepared for weeks before the event. Thailands largest island with some of the most popular beaches. The main events are held at the Jui Tui Shrine in Old Town Phuket and other temples throughout the city. Typically the festival is held in autumn, near the end of September and beginning of October. Running for nine days, the vegetarian festival in Phuket is considered by many to be the most extreme and bizarre of festivals in Thailand. History of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Eventually, the festival has grown into a spectacle and is celebrated yearly in Phuket. The dates change every year, as it's based on the Chinese lunar calendar. In 2021 the festival was 5 - 15 October. Women in menstruation and pregnancy should not participate in the festival. 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. Visitors from all over Thailand come to witness this unique event which has been celebrated since 1825. The food offerings at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival are a unique and delicious experience, so be sure to sample some of the local delicacies. Protein substitutes allow these vegetarian dishes to taste, and look like and replace fish, chicken, and pork in Thai cuisine. During the span of nine days or while the festival is in full effect, one can say that Thailand turns vegan. Pchum Ben Cambodia Festival for the Ancestors, Pha That Luang - The Sparkling Golden Stupa in Vientiane, Phimeanakas Temple & the Legends of 9-headed Serpent, Phnom Bakheng - Chasing Sunset on the Sacred Hill of Gods, Phnom Kulen - Lost World Inside the National Park, Phu Quoc Sandbox: Vietnam first initiative to reopen tourism. This was done to ensure that the body and the mind are cleansed or purified. What is the Phuket vegetarian festival all about? In Thailand, this festival is called thetsakan kin che (), the Vegetarian Festival. During this period of time, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests or mediums are heard. These markets are open from 5pm and are easy to access from Hua Lumphong MRT station. 855 Elm Ave Long Beach, CA. What is Nine Emperor Gods Festival? Phuket Vegetarian Festival The Vegetarian Festival takes place at the start of the ninth Chinese lunar month, which falls in late September or early October. During this time, locals take part in parades, street processions, temple ceremonies, and food offerings to honor their ancestors. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival could be Thailand's answer to the Tamil festival of Thaipusam celebrated in neighboring Malaysia. You will still see them out during the day. What are the best things to do in Phuket? During the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, Thai restaurants serving meat are open as usual. 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. Festivities will be observed in all of Phuket Islands Chinese shrines. Below are some of them: There is this belief within the Chinese community that fire can repel evil influence and overcome impurity. Reopening Myanmar Tourism: What to expect? Best Family Resorts in Bang Tao and Laguna Phuket, Cannabis in Thailand: What You Need to Know, Thailand Health Advice: Be Safe and Healthy During Your Trip, How to Catch the Sunrise at Phu Chi Fah, Chiang Rai, Celebrate Loy Krathong in Thailand: A Guide for Tourists, How to Rent a Yacht in Phuket: A Step-by-Step Guide, Hiking in Thailand: Discovering the Epic Natural Beauty of Thailand. Vegetarian Festival is not limited to Phuket, as it is celebrated throughout Thailand, particularly in cities with large Chinese populations, such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai. , spend some time at a colourful and unique festival - is no.. Temples scattered throughout Phuket, Thailand Tien-tsun the first day of the Chinese calendar visitors from over. Small tables and receive blessings 5.san-kuan Three Officials Vietnam or Thailand travel: one. To ensure that the Hindu God, Shiva, descends to bring good luck seem to `` ''... 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