An important procession that draws thousands of devotees to send the Nine Emperor Gods back via waterways. The Nine Emperor Gods Ji Hung Xng Jn / Ji Hung Da Di are the nine sons manifested by Father Emperor Zhou Yu Dou Fu Yuan Jun and Mother of the Big Dipper Dou Mu Yuan Jun who holds the Registrar of Life and Death. Dr. Schneider was depicted on his research site in a National Geographic documentation by Morgan Freeman.[14]. 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. Women experiencing their menstrual cycle should not attend the rituals. You can observe and even participate in the lighting of joss sticks and candles, before placing them around the various gods. Held at various locations throughout Phuket Island, this festival offers something for everyone to enjoy whether you are looking for delicious food or thrilling entertainment! The Memory at On On Hotel is a real heritage, and a few small guesthouses built on those old Sino Portuguese shophouses are too. These rituals are seen as acts of spiritual devotion and self-mortification, and are believed to bring good fortune and blessings to the community. What is the vegetarian festival in Thailand? 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. One of the most popular events during this festival are colorful parades with participants dressed in traditional costumes carrying ornate floats. Tourists can look for yellow-coloured flags with red Thai or Chinese characters to find the stall selling these vegetarian dishes. The best place to book a hotel for the Phuket Vegetarian Festival and be near one of the parades would be one of the heritage hotels in Phuket town. While most Bang Neow Shrine in Phuket Town is one of Phuket's oldest and most revered Chinese shrines. Devotees not only adopt a special diet for the holiday, a select few participants prove their devotion by practicing self-mutilation. 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. It always has been my favourite Phuket event / festival and I always used to take too many photos! Cyclone Freddy has made landfall on Madagascar, leaving destruction in its wake. There is a whole universe of special deals, offers and travel advice online. Participants wear white clothing to signify purity while taking part in rituals such as fire-walking and body piercing with metal rods or blades. A fun-fact here is that you will hardly find any vegetables on the stalls. All the Chinese shrines on the island are cleaned, painted, and decorated with Chinese Ancestry inspired decorations. There are also direct flights to India, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Germany, among other countries. [11] In his research project starting in 2012, Schneider identified the affective states of the Ma Song that reflected a religious frame of submission. Cindy quit her 9 to 5 job to pursue her passion for exploring mesmerizing locations in Thailand. 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. High-speed train offers compelling new way to travel through Laos, All about Full Moon Lantern Festival in Hoi An, All about Laos Elephant Festival in Xayabouly, All about Laos Green Pass Online Visa Portal, All about Laos sticky rice & the best dipping sauce to pair with, An insiders guide for That Luang Festival, Angelina Jolie surprises fans by turning up at Angkor Wat, Angkor - The Capital City of Khmer Empire, Angkor Thom Temple - The Great City of Khmer Empire, Angkor Wat - Cambodias Mystical City of Temples. The Nine Emperor Gods should not be mixed up with the Wang Ye or Princes of the Ming loyalists. During this festival, participants observe a strict vegetarian diet for nine days as part of their spiritual journey. This was done to ensure that the body and the mind are cleansed or purified. Thursday, September 27, 2012. These dishes also use protein substitutes such as soybeans which makes them almost impossible to distinguish from local dishes. Experiencing the festival for the first time is life-changing as it really needs to be seen to be believed. It is believed that while they are possessed the masong will not feel any pain. After ceremonially crossing the bridge, a red stamp of the gods is then placed on the back of participants to show they are already free from calamities and sin. The 2022 Phuket Vegetarian Festival (aka Nine Emperor Gods Festival) is taking place from 25 September - 5 October 2022. Our local guides are available to help with any questions you have about planning your trip to Thailand. ), Do not eat food with a strong smell (garlic), Keep and wash cooking utensils separately from those used in the event. . The dishes are prepared without the use of garlic, chili, or strong spices. All of the then medicine failed to cure them so they unanimously decided to adopt a strict vegetarian diet. Presently, it is a public holiday in some of these countries. However, before the first day of the festival, a ceremonial pole raising must be conducted. However, the art of "jay" food is that many of the dishes look and taste like meat. This is Phuket's most famous and spectacular festival. [7] Bangkok and Chiang Mai also have many vendors selling vegan food during the festival. Once the pole is erected, the Hindu God Shiva descends, as per the celebrants belief. The procession walks from an ahm to Phuket town. As stated in the previous section of this guide, The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is commonly celebrated from late September to October and this can change based on the lunar calendar of the Chinese. Therefore, it is important to come mentally prepared. What is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2022? This is because while the most spectacular activities are conducted on Phuket Island, the entire country observes the said festival as well. "Vegetarian Festival" redirects here. Its a world away from the urbanised jungles of Phuket. Masong are the people who invite the spirits of gods to possess their bodies. Aside from major events and activities happening at this shrine for the entirety of the nine-day celebration, it is also here that nine Chinese lanterns are lit, signifying that the festival has started. Thailands largest island with some of the most popular beaches. Close to the tail end of September and budding October, the ninth Chinese lunar month is when Phuket Vegetarian Festival is celebrated. Email:jordan@thailandnomads.com, https://www.thailandnomads.com/author/cindyb/, Phuket Vegetarian Festival: The Complete Guide to Visiting It, 5 Best Cannabis Shops in Phuket - 2023 Travellers Guide, Best Muay Thai Training Centers in Koh Tao 2023 Guide, Everything You Need to Know About the Koh Tao Weather 2023 Guide, Best Golf Courses in Phuket That Are A Must-Visit for Golf Lovers, 7 Must Visit Night Markets in Phuket 2023 Update. What is happening if you have a positive Covid test result when traveling in Thailand? Save Long Beach Vegan Festival VIP Pass to your collection. The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket typically lasts for nine days. 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. 31 Okt 2018, 09:02 WIB. Vegetarian Festival Phuket 4.5 37 #16 of 38 things to do in Patong Cultural Events Visit website Write a review About Celebrated over 9 days in October, this Chinese festival dictates a strict vegetarian diet and period of abstinence whilst locals pray to the Nine Emperor Gods. 5.San-kuan Three Officials The festival ends just after midnight when the devotees have sent back the Nine Emperor Gods. Fireworks are stopped at all the establishments and thrown at the devotees. Locally referred to as the Kin Jay Festival, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a festival of the Nine Emperor Gods festival in Phuket. To achieve peace of mind and good health, participants need to follow certain commitments and rules during the interval of the festival. Many temples throughout Phuket host special events such as lion dances, puppet shows, kite flying competitions, and food stalls selling vegetarian dishes prepared according to Buddhist principles (no meat or eggs). 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. Please feel free to, Ma Song Spirit Mediums, Ritual Piercings, and Self, FAQs in Relation to Phuket Vegetarian Festival. This parade features colorful floats, marching bands, and dancers dressed in traditional costumes. Ma is the word for horse in Thai, and the name masong refers to how the spirits of the gods use the bodies of these people as a vehicle, as one rides a horse. 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. Each day of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, processions start from one of the leading shrines around Phuket island. Sign up for our newsletter to receive special offers, news and great events. The American chef Dan Sriprasert used the vegan recipes he learned to make at his mother's food stall in Nan, Thailand during the festival to create the menu for the popular Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro in the United States. The official Phuket Vegetarian Festival website has a schedule of events, but information may or may not be available in English. Yellow chinese flags are put up in the entire city. If you wish to use an image from our website with a link back to us, 17 Best Romantic Restaurants in Phuket , Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town (Kew Ong) , Shrine of the Serene Light in Phuket Town , Lim Hu Tai Su Shrine (Sam Kong Shrine) , 48 Best Things to Do in Phuket and Around in 2023, 11 Best Phuket Tours Day Trips and Excursions, 33 Best Hotels in Phuket We Tried and Loved. We are looking for writers. [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. After 5 great years I have decided to shut down VegEvents in order to focus on building All Impact Jobs. Wu, Jave (2007), 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. 3.Yuan-shih Tien-tsun The First Principal Where to Celebrate Your New Year's Eve in Phuket, Xe Champhone Loop - the hidden beauty of central Laos, Cleanliness of the body during the festival, Clean kitchen utensils not to be used by others who do not participate in the festival, Behave correctly, both physically and mentally, People in mourning should not participate, Pregnant women and menstruating women should not attend ceremonies. Although it may be referred to as Vegetarian Festival, the food sold and consumed is vegan. One member of the opera group was then sent back to China to call on the Kiu Ong lah or the Nine Emperor Gods. One example of a popular vegetarian snack is the vegetarian spring roll. Popular folk culture has it that the Nine Emperor Gods are actually loyalists of the Ming dynasty who fought against Qing dynasty. 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. 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. At the temple during the festival there is also firewalking and blade-ladder climbing. The festival in Thailand also includes special programs and specific local patterns like Bung Fai (Parade dance) and a Beautiful Bung Fai float such as Yasothon the third weekend of May, and continues Suwannaphum District, Roi Et on the first weekend of June, Phanom Phrai District Roi Et during the full moon of the seventh month in Lunar year's calendar each year. Once the 10-metre-tall pole is erected, celebrants believe that the Hindu god, Shiva, descends to bring spiritual power to the event. In addition, there are tons of food stores and street stalls that will sell vegetarian snacks and foods. Angkor Wat Tours - How to See the City of Temples without the Crowds? 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. However, technically, only food prepared in the sacred kitchen of the Chinese temple (in Thailand, called sarnjao or um ) is jeh, as it must undergo a series of rituals before it can be given that name. Some examples include tom yum goong (spicy shrimp soup), tom kha gai (chicken coconut soup) and kaeng jued wan (vegetable clear soup). You will still see them out during the day. This ritual is believed to summon the Nine Emperor God on earth. We post the unavoidable piercing photos everyone has already seen or shot themselves here. It's one of the main shrines taking part in the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival and is a place of worship and merit-making activity for the local Chinese-Thai community throughout the year. The ceremonies of the Vegetarian Festival take place in six Chinese temples scattered throughout Phuket, Thailand. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a unique event that takes place annually in Thailand and draws visitors from around the world. It is believed that there will be rain throughout the nine days of celebration. The ceremonies take place in the vicinity of 6 Chinese temples in Phuket. Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a colorful annual festival held in September or October in China.The festival is celebrated because of the Chinese community's . It used to be 'the little hidden Chinese temple' tucked away at the end of a small path, right under your nose. Phuket's Cultural Vegetarian Festival 2023. The dates change every year, as it's based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Devotees dressed in traditional white, carrying incense and candles, await for their arrival. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony (Khmer: Preah Reach Pithi Chrot Preah Neangkol; Sinhala: Vap Magula; Thai: Phra Ratcha Phithi Charot Phra Nangkhan Raek Na Khwan) also known as The Ploughing Festival is an ancient royal rite held in many Asian countries to mark the traditional beginning of the rice growing season. It is mostly celebrated in South-Eastern Asian countries but particularly in Thailand. Typically the festival is held in autumn, near the end of September and beginning of October. The festival begins with a parade from Jui Tui Shrine to Sapan Hin, a public park located near the beach. Its an important site during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, when thousands of devotees come to hold ceremonies and eat vegetarian food during the events nine days. Exercise self-control and behave in a respectful manner both physically and mentally. The five most ancient Shrines are Put Jaw, Jui Tui, Bang Niew, Cherng Talay, and Kathu Shrine. The role of ma song, or spirit mediums, is an integral part of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Jui Tui Shrine is the main temple located in Phuket Old Town. Vendors and restaurants all over Thailand participate by switching to "jay" food, using yellow flags with red Thai or Chinese characters to signal their participation. [6] Wu, Jave (2008), Celebration The Nine Emperors is formed by the seven stars of the Big Dipper of the North Ursa Major (visible) and two assistant stars (invisible to most people). Today, most Nine Emperor God temples do not acknowledge the existence of Dou Fu Yuan Jun. They can also be seen shaking their heads back and forth continually, and usually do not seem to "see" their surroundings. To really see the festival at its best, you'll want to go there. This was to ensure the purification of the mind and body. 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. 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. The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival occurs on the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar (often, around October) and spans nine days, where participants - usually of Chinese ancestry- undergo a strict vegetarian diet during the period. Pure vegetarian food stalls are set up on all major streets of Phuket that strictly serve vegetarian dishes. Various gory spectacles, perilous events and parades taking place, from sword piercings, fire walking, etc 15 Islands Near Phuket Phuket Island Hopping, Jade Emperor and Nine Emperor Gods Welcoming Ritual, The Pilgrims Name Reading Ritual in The Sacred Hall, The Birth and Death of Humans Gods Welcoming Ritual, Big Dipper Astrolatry: Seven Star Worshipping Ritual, Jade Emperor and Nine Emperor Gods Retreating Ritual, Wear white clothes during the whole festival, Do not eat meat or animal products (milk, eggs, etc. Please get in touch using the quick form below: Our staff can also answer any questions you might have about Thailand. The festivities will occur in and around the area of the six Chinese temples on Phuket Island. Wear white to honor the Nine Emperor 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. As such, tourists who want to take advantage of this festival are advised to visit or stay near the oldest and major Chinese shrines on the island which includes: This shrine has been around for 100 years and it has been renovated a couple of times. Read along to know about the most peculiar festival in Phuket- The Phuket Vegetarian Festival. If you want to write for us, please get in touch. Por Pia Tod Jay () Deep-fried spring rolls. Most of them sell noodles, sushi, tofu shaped like meat and other fast foods. It is believed that there will be rain throughout the nine days of the celebration. Here are our recommendation for your accommodation: Below is the Youtube video about Phuket Vegetarian Festival if you want to go further. Both air-conditioned as well as non-air-conditioned buses are available at different prices. While the face is the most common area pierced, some also pierce their arms with pins and fishhooks. 8.Pa-hsien Eight Immortals. Popular folk culture has it that the Nine Emperor Gods are actually sea pirates of the Ming dynasty that plotted to overthrow the Qing dynasty. Tourists are advised to stay away from areas that observe this scary and deafening aspect of the celebrations. The Thailand Piercing Festical It was the fourth day of The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket Town, Thailand - also known as the Thailand Piercing Festival. Super Ekstrem, Festival Vegetarian di Thailand Bikin Merinding. For other festivals, see, Nine Emperor Gods Festival celebration in popular folk culture. I also love exploring the many ancient ruins and historical sites throughout Thailand. My name is Jolie, I am a Vietnamese girl growing up in the countryside of Hai Duong, northern Vietnam. Then, the Ma Song demonstrate their submission by presenting their expressive forms of self-mutilation in a public procession. Vietnam or Thailand Travel: Which one should you visit? The festival was meant to honour the gods and express the people's happiness at surviving what was, in the 19th century, a fatal illness. But dont get too excited about this event until you have read our bottom line in this article or you might regret later. The temple houses 2 historical images that are believed to bring good luck. Participants must behave both physically and mentally. It is a good idea to stay well away from this deafening and sometimes frightening aspect of the Vegetarian Festival. Phuket is renowned for its vibrant and colourful festivals. While the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is celebrated across Thailand, the said festival is most celebrated and observed in Phuket. What are the best things to do in Phuket? There are also fortune telling booths offering advice from monks or fortunetellers about ones future prospects based on palm reading or astrology readings. For starters, the festival should start on the very first day of the Chinese lunar calendars ninth month. 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