The annual Vegetarian Festival in Phuket always starts off at the Jui Tsui Chinese Shrine in Phuket Town when the Chinese spirits and gods come down to participate in the 10 day festival. The worshipers will follow the ten principles mentioned above to cleanse their spirits. Eventually, the festival has grown into a spectacle and is celebrated yearly in Phuket. How many days do you need and how to plan the best itinerary in Vietnam? You can observe and even participate in the lighting of joss sticks and candles, before placing them around the various gods. However, the art of "jay" food is that many of the dishes look and taste like meat. Running for nine days, the vegetarian festival in Phuket is considered by many to be the most extreme and bizarre of festivals in Thailand. 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. Segregate your utensils from those who are not participating. All of the then medicine failed to cure them so they unanimously decided to adopt a strict vegetarian diet. The best place to celebrate this festival in Phuket is Phuket Town, where the majority of the Chinese shrines are located and where most participants gather. 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. if(typeof(Boxzilla)!='undefined') {Boxzilla.on('box.show', function(box) { jQuery(".boxzilla input#btnNewsletterJoinUs").bind( "click", p1subscriber_handler ); });} }}); Jui Tui Shrine (Kew Ong) is one of the oldest and most important on Phuket Island. The shrine is located in the subdistrict of Kathu in the islands interior, between Phuket Town and Patong Beach. She has been living here for the past 5 years now and through Thailand Nomads, she shares her experiences and insights about the must-visit places in Thailand. One of the most popular events during this festival are colorful parades with participants dressed in traditional costumes carrying ornate floats. It is mostly celebrated in South-Eastern Asian countries but particularly in Thailand. From the 1800s, well into the 20th century, thousands of migrants from China arrived in Phuket to work in the tin mines and establish merchant Lai Thu Tao Bo Keng is one of the oldest Chinese shrines in Phuket, and many believe it was the birthplace of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival nearly two centuries ago. 31. They must undergo a period of physical and spiritual preparation before the festival, including fasting and abstaining from meat and other stimulants. 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 offers a unique opportunity to explore Thai culture and cuisine in an exciting way. 5.San-kuan Three Officials During this period of time, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests or mediums are heard. Sat, Jul 2, 11:00 AM. But there is far more to this celebration than food. Popular dishes are vegetarian pink noodle soup, which uses mushrooms to substitute pork blood cubes, fried tofu, deep-fried spring roll, and fried taro.[8]. Stages are also set up in the shrines for the festival. Please feel free to, Ma Song Spirit Mediums, Ritual Piercings, and Self, FAQs in Relation to Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Phuket Sandbox reopening plan & What to Expect? The popularity of this fantastic island comes from the incredibly vast range of attractions, activities and tours, from fabulous beaches and natural wo jQuery(document).ready(function() { if (typeof(p1subscriber_handler)=="function") { The Phuket vegetarian festival has something special for all who attend and it will surely leave a lasting impression on your trip to Thailand. Otherwise it can land you in a mess. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a yearly event that is usually celebrated on the Chinese Calendars ninth lunar month falling somewhere between the months of September and October. The role of ma song, or spirit mediums, is an integral part of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. What to do in Phuket in 2023? 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Participants usually walk on hot coals or pierce their cheeks with swords! Also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival or the Kin Jay Festival, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event celebrated primarily by the Chinese community in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. They believe that adopting a vegetarian diet and paying homage to the nine Gods wards off the evil spirits. Festivities will be observed in all of Phuket Islands Chinese shrines. Locally referred to as the Kin Jay Festival, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a festival of the Nine Emperor Gods festival in Phuket. The Chinese followed the tradition of refraining from eating meat, drinking alcoholic drinks, engaging in sex, quarrelling, telling lies or killing. Vietnam or Thailand Travel: Which one should you visit? Participants wear white clothing to signify purity while taking part in rituals such as fire-walking and body piercing with metal rods or blades. Chiang Mai is already packed with vegan and vegetarian restaurants, but for Vegetarian Festival, the city takes things to another level. After the gods have passed through the shrine doors, all lights inside the shrine are turned off and access points are closed. While it is often associated with blood and gore, the festival is deep-rooted in tradition and the ancient beliefs of the local Chinese community. 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. Why do Phuketians celebrate it? Get ready to explore what the Phuket Vegetarian Festival has to offer; we will provide insight into where it happens, what activities can be experienced during the festival, different types of food offerings available as well as accommodation options so you dont miss out on any part of this extraordinary cultural experience! According to an early-nineteenth-century interpretation of Chinese Taoism by a local community of Chinese immigrant miners, the Nine Emperor Gods descend from poles located in the shrines yards and incarnate by using the bodies of the participants as shells for walking on Earth. The festival begins with a parade from Jui Tui Shrine to Sapan Hin, a public park located near the beach. The airport is well-connected to Bangkok with daily flights. You will still see them out during the day. 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. Subsequently, the festival has grown and developed into a spectacular yearly event in Phuket. 6.San-yuan Three Epochs 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. Come and experience the joy of Thailands Phuket Vegetarian Festival! We believe you have the right to arm yourselves with as much information as possible before making any decision. Our local guides are available to help with any questions you have about planning your trip to Thailand. The peak of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival is on the ninth, or last, day as the ceremony becomes a farewell frenzy for sending the gods home to the sky. 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. In Phuket culture, this is considered the most important festival of all. Cyclone Freddy has made landfall on Madagascar, leaving destruction in its wake. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival. The ninth day of the festival is its climax. During this 9-day period, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a vegetarian or vegan diet for the purpose of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. San Diego's biggest vegan festival is held at Encinitas' own outdoor bazaar. "Vegetarian Festival" redirects here. The walk on the fire is another challenging photo to capture, as you must come early to secure the best spot. [11] In his research project starting in 2012, Schneider identified the affective states of the Ma Song that reflected a religious frame of submission. 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. Copy Link. This ceremony is usually calm and quiet.However, you can see a lot of buzz later in the week during the parades. Prasat Bakong - Ancient Cambodia Temple of Roluos Group, Prasat Bei - The Temple of Three Brick Towers, Prasat Lolei - Ancient Cambodia Temple of Roluos Group, Pre-travel Covid tests for arrivals lifted from April 1, Preah Khan Temple - The Royal Sword of Khmer Empire, Preah Ko - the Oldest Temple of Roluos Group, Preah Palilay The Mysterious Temple in Angkor Thom, Preah Vihear - Ancient Temple in Northern Cambodia, Reopening Cambodia Tourism - Everything you need to know. by tripsavvy. This festival offers live music and games and is family- and pet-friendly. There are over 40 chinese shrines in Phuket and all of them take out a parade during the festival. Pure vegetarian food stalls are set up on all major streets of Phuket that strictly serve vegetarian dishes. 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). 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. Flight: The Phuket International Airport is the second busiest airport of Thailand after the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. The festivities will occur in and around the area of the six Chinese temples on Phuket Island. Location: Phuket Town. These packages often include discounts on accommodations as well as access to exclusive events such as cooking classes or traditional ceremonies. Weeks before the Vegetarian Festival events, yellow Chinese flags bloom on every roadside and intersection, especially near Chinese temples. Save Long Beach Vegan Festival VIP Pass to your collection. 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. It usually takes place during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which falls between September and October. Phuket Vegetarian Festival has started on Monday, September 26th. Its crunchy, flavorful, and filling, and its quite affordable at three pieces for only 20 THB. 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. With everything that goes on during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, lets look at some of the important events, activities, and details of the said festival. 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. Participants, both women, and men will pierce their cheeks with skewers and knives, and other similar items. 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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. Phuket Vegetarian Festival is the most popular in town for a reason. However, the two biggest processions are taken out from the Bang Neaw and Jui Tui shrines.Besides volume, the thing that sets Jui Tui apart is featuring women as Chinese Goddesses. 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. This study has been made possible through the support by Fulbright Scholar grant PD2082693, the National Research Council of Thailand in Bangkok, and the members of the Phuket Provincial Cultural Office. We post the unavoidable piercing photos everyone has already seen or shot themselves here. Koh Lanta island is one of the most popular destinations for new years eve party in Thailand for backpackers. What to do & where to celebrate the New Year's Eve in Chiang Mai, What to do and where to Celebrate Your New Year's Eve in Bangkok. Some examples include tom yum goong (spicy shrimp soup), tom kha gai (chicken coconut soup) and kaeng jued wan (vegetable clear soup). The official Phuket Vegetarian Festival website has a schedule of events, but information may or may not be available in English. 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. Teams of people accompany the masong to keep their wounds clean and to help support the heavier piercings. The participants who prepare to volunteer their bodies to the gods are called the Ma Song. The festival is famous for its 'extreme' celebrations. As with any religious festival, enjoy watching, but keep your distance. Cindy quit her 9 to 5 job to pursue her passion for exploring mesmerizing locations in Thailand. A land of staggering natural beauty and cultural complexities, of dynamic megacities and hill-tribe villages, Vietnam is both exotic and compelling. Also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, the festival is celebrated by Daoists throughout Thailand in areas with large populations of . 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. My name is Jolie, I am a Vietnamese girl growing up in the countryside of Hai Duong, northern Vietnam. 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. Tourists can join in the lighting of candles and joss sticks before they are placed around the household gods. It was also reported that Chinese temples in Hat Yai stockpiled vegetarian food in advance of the festival and hired more people. Text and Photos are Copyright Phuket 101 and Willy Thuan 2011 - 2023 - Copy or use of images or texts without written authorization is strictly prohibited (Credit to or mention of the blog does not constitute authorization). Apparently, traveling monks were crossing through fields, thus destroying the crops of villagers and farmers. The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Chinese: ; Malay: Perayaan Sembilan Maharaja Dewa; Thai: ) or Vegetarian Festival or Jay Festival is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, celebrated primarily in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand by the Peranakans (not the entire Overseas Chinese community). 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