It was founded more than 80 years ago by the Chinese-Thai community in Phuket. According to Rev. It takes place at the same time as the Hindu festival Navaratri.[1]. The masong tradition which is similar to Tng-ki also exist among the Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia during this festival. The festival always starts on the first day of the 9th Chinese lunar month (though the pole-raising ceremony is the night before). The streets are filled with people walking barefoot over hot coals or climbing ladders made of blades as part of their spiritual journey. Phone: 088 169 2595. The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket typically lasts for nine days. Curries are also a staple offering at the festival; these range from mild coconut milk-based curries like green curry to spicier varieties such as red curry or Massaman curry. Then for the past 27 years, my passion for photography and my natural curiosity has taken me to every corner of Thailand, jumping frequently between Bangkok and Phuket and basically everywhere I could go. Vietnam or Thailand Travel: Which one should you visit? Many of these establishments feature amenities such as free Wi-Fi, air conditioning units, swimming pools, fitness centers, and restaurants where you can enjoy delicious local cuisine without breaking your budget. One of the best things to do in Phuket is attending the Vegetarian festival. Phuket Vegetarian Festival has started on Monday, September 26th. All acts of Sexual intercourse must be avoided during the festival. The Nine Emperor Stars are: On the eve of the lunar ninth month, temples dedicated to Nine Emperor Gods will conduct an important ceremony to invoke and welcome the Nine Emperor Gods. From the vibrant street processions to the delicious vegetarian dishes, there is something for everyone at this festival. To really see the festival at its best, you'll want to go there. It celebrates the unique belief of the chinese community in the holiness of vegetarian food. [12] While in Western cultures dominance is seen as a cherished goal, Schneider observed an unusual appreciation of submission amongst the Ma Song. It is celebrated mainly by Chinese Thai people and involves abstaining from meat, as well as other activities such as parades, street processions, and temple ceremonies. There are over 40 chinese shrines in Phuket and all of them take out a parade during the festival. 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. They are also referred to as Jiu Huang Da Di (The Nine Great Emperors) in the Taoist pantheon. Koh Lanta Island. One member of the opera group was then sent back to China to call on the Kiu Ong lah or the Nine Emperor Gods. Read along to know about the most peculiar festival in Phuket- The Phuket Vegetarian Festival. It is celebrated annually during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, usually falling between late September and early October. Songkran in Phuket: Where to join the water fight? Those photos are easy to take, follow and enjoy the parade. The festival runs for nine days and is observed in other Asian countries as well. During this time, locals take part in parades, street processions, temple ceremonies, and food offerings to honor their ancestors. The royal ploughing ceremony, called Lehtun Mingala, or Mingala Ledaw, was also practiced in pre-colonial Burma until 1885 when the monarchy was abolished. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. ", "The Most Colorful Festivals Worth Attending In Thailand", "15 years later, a vegan pioneer still sets the standard", "Celebrating the Vegetarian Festival 2022: where to go and what to eat", "Hat Yai prepares for start of the vegetarian festival on Monday", "How to Experience the Phuket Vegetarian Festival in Thailand", "NTU team to study popular Taoist festival of the Nine Emperor Gods", "Nine Emperor Gods Festival celebrated with many people of all races and religions", Nine Emperor Gods Temple in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2018 | Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2018 - Video, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nine_Emperor_Gods_Festival&oldid=1127955778, Tan Lang Tai Xing Jun ()1st Star (Visible) Bayer: UMa, Ju Men Yuan Xing Jun () 2nd Star (Visible) Bayer: UMa, Lu Cun Zhen Xing Jun () 3rd Star (Visible) Bayer: UMa, Wen Qu Niu Xing Jun () 4th Star (Visible) Bayer: UMa, Lian Zhen Gang Xing Jun () 5th Star (Visible) Bayer: UMa, Wu Qu Ji Xing Jun () 6th Star (Visible) Bayer: UMa, Po Jun Guan Xing Jun () 7th Star (Visible) Bayer: UMa, Zuo Fu Da Dao Xing Jun () 8th Star (Invisible), You Bi Da Dao Xing Jun () 9th Star (Invisible), This page was last edited on 17 December 2022, at 16:13. The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival takes place during the 9th Lunar Month of the chinese calendar. The streets of Phuket island are crowded with the thousands of visitors, mostly from Asia and China, that visit to participate in the festival every year. 855 Elm Ave Long Beach, CA. If in doubt, just go toward the noise and chaos! There are also special ceremonies held at local temples where people can make offerings to Buddha statues or take part in religious rituals such as fire walking or piercing themselves with metal rods without feeling any pain. The Chinese observe the tradition of abstaining from telling lies, quarrelling, having sex, drinking alcohol, and eating meat. The festival culminates with a parade featuring colorful floats decorated with lanterns that are carried through the streets accompanied by music and chanting. Here are our recommendation for your accommodation: Below is the Youtube video about Phuket Vegetarian Festival if you want to go further. However, the art of "jay" food is that many of the dishes look and taste like meat. 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. Wear white to honor the Nine Emperor Gods. Copy Link. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. Phuket is another 5 hours by bus from Phun Phin, which is located in the Surat Thani Province of Thailand. The ceremonies of the Vegetarian Festival take place in six Chinese temples scattered throughout Phuket, Thailand. Each day, the street procession starts from one of the leading Shrines in Phuket. I run Phuket101.net and manage large international online travel guides. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a colourful annual event held on the 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, usually in September or October. San Diego's biggest vegan festival is held at Encinitas' own outdoor bazaar. For several days, on both sides of Phuket Town streets leading to shrines, food stands display tons of vegetarian dishes in all imaginable shapes and sizes (but often have a very similar taste). 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. Address: Bang Neow intersection, Phuket Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang, Phuket 83000. The ninth day of the festival is its climax. This ceremony is usually calm and quiet.However, you can see a lot of buzz later in the week during the parades. During this time, there are many food offerings available for visitors to enjoy without having to worry about consuming any animal products. During this period of time, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests or mediums are heard. See at the end of the page to read about a few popular dishes. 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. For starters, the festival should start on the very first day of the Chinese lunar calendars ninth month. One example of a popular vegetarian snack is the vegetarian spring roll. Firewalking ceremonies can be seen where devotees walk across burning charcoal without being burned and spirit mediums perform rituals on stage. 6.San-yuan Three Epochs Perbesar. 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. Full Moon Party in Thailand: The Ultimate Guide to Koh Phangans Iconic Event! Phuket Vegetarian Festival is the most popular in town for a reason. It is called the Raising of the Lantern Pole. 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 . Many of these vegetarian dishes aren't easily distinguishable from regular Thai dishes. This was done to ensure that the body and the mind are cleansed or purified. Participants believe that their household gods will be benefiting from the yearly infusion of spiritual power from the temples. Even so, most injuries are usually sustained from the indiscriminate use of firecrackers. However, linking to the blog is welcomed. 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. If you find yourself in Phuket around September or October, spend some time at a colourful and unique festival. Refrain from sexual activities during the festival. Its crunchy, flavorful, and filling, and its quite affordable at three pieces for only 20 THB. Please feel free to, Ma Song Spirit Mediums, Ritual Piercings, and Self, FAQs in Relation to Phuket Vegetarian Festival. It offers a unique opportunity to explore Thai culture and cuisine in an exciting way. From luxurious resorts and hotels to budget-friendly hostels and guesthouses, visitors can find something that fits their needs and budget. Processions on the streets will usually have participants climbing an eight-metre ladder full of sharp blades, running across burning coals, and walking in a trance. The festival begins with a parade from each participating temple around the city center. There are many different types of dishes available ranging from stir fries to curries all made without any animal products whatsoever even fish sauce. Its a celebration of Chinese culture with an emphasis on vegan cuisine, street processions, and other religious rituals. 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. Phuket Vegetarian Festival is celebrated all across the town. [7] Bangkok and Chiang Mai also have many vendors selling vegan food during the festival. Then, the Ma Song demonstrate their submission by presenting their expressive forms of self-mutilation in a public procession. After 5 great years I have decided to shut down VegEvents in order to focus on building All Impact Jobs. Popular folk culture has it that the Nine Emperor Gods are actually loyalists of the Ming dynasty who fought against Qing dynasty. White clothes must be worn during the festival. by tripsavvy. 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 Memory at On On Hotel is a real heritage, and a few small guesthouses built on those old Sino Portuguese shophouses are too. Phuket Governor faces taxi doubleheader at Phuket International airport. Today, most Nine Emperor God temples do not acknowledge the existence of Dou Fu Yuan Jun. 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. Both air-conditioned as well as non-air-conditioned buses are available at different prices. This was to ensure the purification of the mind and body. The shrine is located in the subdistrict of Kathu in the islands interior, between Phuket Town and Patong Beach. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival begins on the first day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so dates change annually. There are different stories behind how the Phuket Vegetarian Festival began, however the most widely accepted is the China Opera troupe Story. These events usually take place at temples throughout Phuket but some may also be seen in public areas like beaches or parks depending on where they are being held that year. The rituals, which last for nine days, are performed to purify both body and mind. While most Bang Neow Shrine in Phuket Town is one of Phuket's oldest and most revered Chinese shrines. What is the Phuket vegetarian festival all about? In 2021 the festival was 5 - 15 October. Flight: The Phuket International Airport is the second busiest airport of Thailand after the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. These include invoking the gods through different self-mutilating acts such as body piercing and fire walking. This year, it . Local participants and sponsors use the occasion to enhance their social prestige, as is customary in traditional Buddhist folk festivals throughout Southeast Asia. [11] In his research project starting in 2012, Schneider identified the affective states of the Ma Song that reflected a religious frame of submission. . Yen Ta Fo () is a pink-coloured soup with noodles served in a broth seasoned with fermented and pungent red bean curd. Note that most non-vegetarian restaurants in Phuket Town will close for a week, but the restaurants in all beach resorts will operate normally, so dont worry too much. 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. OC VEGAN FEST @ THE DEN DTSA - JUNE 25, 2022. What to do in Phuket in 2023? 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. My name is Jolie, I am a Vietnamese girl growing up in the countryside of Hai Duong, northern Vietnam. Keep yourself clean throughout the festival. Otherwise it can land you in a mess. It is assumed that the household gods will benefit from an annual injection of spiritual energy that fills the temple. How many days do you need and how to plan the best itinerary in Vietnam? A land of staggering natural beauty and cultural complexities, of dynamic megacities and hill-tribe villages, Vietnam is both exotic and compelling. Celebrate one of the most famous and spectacular cultural events in Phuket. 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. No meat or animal products to be consumed during the festival. 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. And as you may have already inferred, Thailand's Veg-fest is not a meat-abhorring, food-loving, happy-go-lucky celebration. Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Setiap manusia pasti memiliki kelebihan masing-masing yang membuat mereka menjadi unik. You can see these everywhere from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to Thailand's many islands. Various gory spectacles, perilous events and parades taking place, from sword piercings, fire walking, etc Yellow chinese flags are put up in the entire city. A procession which draws scores of devotees sends the deities back home. Celebrations typically include preliminary music and dance performances, competitive processions of floats, dancers and musicians on the second day, and culminating on the third day in competitive firings of home-made rockets. Raising the Lantern Pole, as stated earlier, is the very first event of the festival and is meant to notify the nine Chinese gods that the festival has started. History of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. 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. It always has been my favourite Phuket event / festival and I always used [] There are two terminals in the airport; Terminal 1 is used for international flights while Terminal 2 is used for domestic flights. 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. I also love exploring the many ancient ruins and historical sites throughout Thailand. We recommend the following websites and resources to help in planning your perfect trip to Thailand. It always has been my favourite Phuket event / festival and I always used to take too many photos! The Phuket Vegetarian Festival. The dates change every year, as it's based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Participants, both women, and men will pierce their cheeks with skewers and knives, and other similar items. Realistic vegetarian meats are used instead. Khanom Jeen Jay () thin cold rice noodles served with a curry sauce and with tofu and mushrooms. The festival is becoming more eventful year after year. What is happening if you have a positive Covid test result when traveling in Thailand? Once, we even saw a full collection of fake sushi, all made of rice and tofu! When is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival? One of the performers was sent to China to invite the Nine Emperor Gods (known as the Kiu Ong Iah) to Phuket. It's a new era for this extraordinary and complex land, where the landscape is scattered with gilded pagodas and the traditional ways of Asia endure. Phuket gears up for 9-day vegetarian festival. 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? Visit the empty Angkor Wat? This is Phuket's most famous and spectacular festival. Since a little girl, I was always dreaming of exploring the far-away lands, the unseen beauty spots of the world. Dr. Schneider was depicted on his research site in a National Geographic documentation by Morgan Freeman.[14]. During this festival, people abstain from eating meat and other animal products for nine days as a way to purify their bodies and minds. Only pure, unmarried men or women without families of their own can become masong. Please help this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is the annual nine-day event taking place during the ninth Chinese lunar month. The annual vegetarian festival will get under way between the first to the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the Chinese calendar. Chiang Mai is already packed with vegan and vegetarian restaurants, but for Vegetarian Festival, the city takes things to another level. 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. The main temple is Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town. The festival ends just after midnight when the devotees have sent back the Nine Emperor Gods. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. To do in Phuket power from the vibrant street processions, and other religious rituals both. 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