Phuket Vegetarian Festival

The Vegetarian Festival, or Nine Emperor Gods Festival, is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The festival is celebrated all around southeast Asia, but concentrates in Phuket which is 35% Thai Chinese.

The ceremonies of the festival take place in the vicinity of the six Chinese temples scattered throughout Phuket. The main temple is the Jui Tui Shrine, not far from the Fresh Market in Phuket Town.

Statue at Jui Tui Shrine

The Vegetarian Festival attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed.

Masongare the people who invite the spirits of gods to possess their bodies during this festival. Only pure, unmarried men or women without families of their own can become masong. At the temple they undergo a series of rituals to protect them for the duration of the festival, in which self mutilation is common.

Various parades are held throughout the nine days

Carrying statues of the nine emperors during the parades. Setting off lots of fireworks creates an unbearable smoke at times

Skewers through the cheeks of a Masong

Several Thorned branches thru the cheeks

The festivities in Phuket include daily processions of masong wearing elaborate costumes who pierce their cheeks and tongues with all different types of things, including swords, skewers, and more. While the face is the most common area pierced, some also pierce their arms with pins and fishhooks. Teams of people accompany the masong to keep their wounds clean and to help support the heavier piercings. It is believed that while they are possessed the masong will not feel any pain. They can also be seen shaking their heads back and forth continually, and do not seem to be aware of their surroundings.

Chinese Dragon asking for donations

At the end of each procession you will see several Chinese dragons walking past the crowd asking for donations for the Temple that put on the procession.

Getting the fire ready for the firewalking

Leveling the fire

Blessing the fire prior to the firewalking

At the temple during the festival there is also fire walking, and large crowds of people gather to watch. At least a couple dozen people will walk across the red hot coals.

Firewalking

Walking thru the hot coals

Trance Like

The Masong's enter an almost trace like state prior to the festivities and is done without any anesthetic, always inside or near the temples surrounded by other devotees with only iodine, petroleum jelly and surgical gloves as precautionary measures.

There is plenty of vegetarian food options within these nine days located all through out Phuket

Black Sesame Cakes

A boy covers his ears from the noise of the firecrackers

Throughout the nine days, firecrackers are heard everywhere. On the final night in Phuket Town the amount of fireworks peak as the procession, which draws scores of devotees, sends the deities (gods) back home.

Final Night procession in Phuket Town

Thousands upon Thousands of firecrackers are set off on the final night sending the gods (deities) back home

Smoke Filled Streets of the final night