Once the 10-metre-tall pole is erected, celebrants believe that the Hindu god, Shiva, descends to bring spiritual power to the event. 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. The official Phuket Vegetarian Festival website has a schedule of events, but information may or may not be available in English. 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. The festival dates use the Lunar Calendar, and the festival's exact dates change every year, so if you plan to travel to Tha Rua Shrine is one of the oldest Chinese shrines in Phuket, found in Thalang District on Thepkasattri Road about 800m south of the Heroines Monument. One of the best things to do in Phuket is attending the Vegetarian festival. 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. 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 . [3] 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). If you find yourself in Phuket around September or October, spend some time at a colourful and unique festival. Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Setiap manusia pasti memiliki kelebihan masing-masing yang membuat mereka menjadi unik. Also to maintain purity devout festival participants abstain from sex, alcohol and stimulants during the festival. When is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival? Participants wear white clothing to signify purity while taking part in rituals such as fire-walking and body piercing with metal rods or blades. We believe you have the right to arm yourselves with as much information as possible before making any decision. Most devotees stay at the temple, eat vegetarian meals, maintain celibacy and recite continuous chanting of prayer. The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket typically lasts for nine days. 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. It is a good idea to stay well away from this deafening and sometimes frightening aspect of the Vegetarian Festival. These packages often include discounts on accommodations as well as access to exclusive events such as cooking classes or traditional ceremonies. However, linking to the blog is welcomed. The Thailand Piercing Festical It was the fourth day of The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket Town, Thailand - also known as the Thailand Piercing Festival. Phuket gears up for 9-day vegetarian festival. It attracts thousands of tourists annually with most visitors coming from other Asian destinations, especially from China. Also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, the festival is celebrated by Daoists throughout Thailand in areas with large populations of . During this period of time, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests are heard. Most of them sell noodles, sushi, tofu shaped like meat and other fast foods. [13] This might be generalizable to other religious practices where believers submit in devotion. Popular folk culture has it that the Nine Emperor Gods are actually loyalists of the Ming dynasty who fought against Qing dynasty. Please help this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. The festivities in Phuket include a procession of masong wearing elaborate costumes who pierce their cheeks and tongues with all manner of things, including swords, banners, machine guns, table lamps, and flowers. It usually takes place during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which falls between September and October. (and get our downloadable Phuket Travel Guide PDF for free too!). This was done to ensure that the body and the mind are cleansed or purified. 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 is celebrated throughout the entire country, but the festivities are at their height in Phuket, where over the half of the population is Peranakans. 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. From the vibrant street processions to the delicious vegetarian dishes, there is something for everyone at this festival. 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. Firewalking ceremonies can be seen where devotees walk across burning charcoal without being burned and spirit mediums perform rituals on stage. The shrine is located in the subdistrict of Kathu in the islands interior, between Phuket Town and Patong Beach. 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. 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. The festival is famous for its vegetarian food (of course, the rather noisy and spectacular processions, and the fire-walking displays. In Phuket culture, this is considered the most important festival of all. 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. Festivities will be observed in all of Phuket Islands Chinese shrines. The main temple is Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town. Ultimately, the goal of the festival is to express the happiness of the people who survived a 19th-century deadly disease and to honour the gods who heeded their call for help. Running for nine days, the vegetarian festival in Phuket is considered by many to be the most extreme and bizarre of festivals in Thailand. Devotees and participants see this ceremony as cleansing of their past impurities and a fresh start in life. The rituals, which last for nine days, are performed to purify both body and mind. 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. [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. A Guide to Thailand for Families With Kids. 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 Rocket Festival (Boun Bang Fai) is a merit-making ceremony traditionally practiced by ethnic Lao people near the beginning of the wet season in numerous villages and municipalities, in the regions of Northeastern Thailand and Laos. Thailands many festivals are always a marvel and something everyone should experience at least once. Then, participants must observe or follow certain rules or commitments for nine days which include the following. 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. Sumber foto: AFP. To achieve this, soybean and protein substitutes are used to replace meat and are shaped to look like the animal products they represent, often with a cartoon-like aesthetic. Along the way, local Thai of Chinese descent prepare food offerings on small tables and receive blessings. Not all those hotels are historical, but they have a style that fits the event atmosphere. 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. Phuket Sandbox reopening plan & What to Expect? During this time, locals observe a strict vegetarian diet and take part in various religious ceremonies such as processions with ornately decorated floats and firewalking rituals. Only pure, unmarried men or women without families of their own can become masong. Phuket's most famous and spectacular cultural event, the Vegetarian Festival takes place over nine days in the ninth lunar month, typically around September or October. Come join us at Phuket's premier vegan restaurant during the annual vegetarian festival where we have a special dedicated vegetarian menu on offer for all of those following the event. Wednesday, May . Beach guides, things to do and hand-picked villa and hotel advice. During the festival, ma song can be seen participating in a variety of rituals, such as piercing their cheeks with needles or swords, walking on hot coals, or climbing ladders made of sharp blades. This area is usually closed-off during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival and it is here that vegetarian food stalls abound. Address: Bang Neow intersection, Phuket Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang, Phuket 83000. They believe that they will be protected by the Chinese gods and that these injuries should leave no scars and cause little to no bleeding. 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