phuket vegetarian festival
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival begins on the first day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so dates change annually. 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. It usually takes place during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which falls between September and October. In 2021 the festival was 5 - 15 October. OC VEGAN FEST @ THE DEN DTSA - JUNE 25, 2022. While the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is celebrated across Thailand, the said festival is most celebrated and observed in Phuket. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival held in autumn - also known under its more Taoist-inspired name Nine Emperor Gods Festival - is no exception. The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket is an annual event that takes place over nine days during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The annual vegetarian festival will get under way between the first to the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the Chinese calendar. It is to be seen once in your life, but it attracts a crowd of photographers who want their share of weird photos to take back home with such eerie views. The most famous of these is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, held annually in October or November. Then for the past 29 years, my passion for photography has taken me to every corner of Thailand. The festival is celebrated by Chinese Hokkien descendants for the purposes of purifying body and mind, also to ensure a year of prosperity. On the day, Buddhists celebrate the creation of an ideal and exemplary community, which is why it is sometimes called Sagha Day, the Sagha referring to the Buddhist community, and for some Buddhist schools this is specifically the monastic community. Finally, some authors referred to the day as the Buddhist All Saints Day. Long Hua, the 35th generation Taoist priest from Singapore, honouring the Northern Dipper stars prolongs one's life, eliminate calamities, and absolves sins and past debts of oneself and his family. It's a celebration of Chinese culture with an emphasis on vegan cuisine, street processions, and other religious rituals. Phuket Governor faces taxi doubleheader at Phuket International airport. 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. History of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Most devotees stay at the temple, eat vegetarian meals, maintain celibacy and recite continuous chanting of prayer. It always has been my favourite Phuket event / festival and I always used [] One of the performers was sent to China to invite the Nine Emperor Gods (known as the Kiu Ong Iah) to Phuket. How many days does the Vegetarian festival in Phuket last? [13] This might be generalizable to other religious practices where believers submit in devotion. It falls usually in the month of September or October. Also to maintain purity devout festival participants abstain from sex, alcohol and stimulants during the festival. 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. Bang Neow Shrine is on Phuket Road, a Kio Thian Keng Shrine is a colourful Chinese shrine that is set on the seashore inside Saphan Hin public park in Phuket Town. 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. Then, participants must observe or follow certain rules or commitments for nine days which include the following. An annual event, the vegetarian festival is a misnomer and is primarily celebrated by the Chinese communities in Thailand.It goes on for nine days and is considered to be one of the most bizarre and extreme festivals in the country. Joss sticks and candles are lit before placing the Gods in the temples. You can see these everywhere from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to Thailand's many islands. 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. Songkran in Chiang Mai: What to do during the Festival? What is the meaning of Thingyan Festival Myanmar New Year? The worshipers will follow the ten principles mentioned above to cleanse their spirits. This parade features colorful floats, marching bands, and dancers dressed in traditional costumes. The devotees wear bright and very ornamented outfits, and then you are set for a full week of firecrackers, parades, piercings, and vegetarian food. The said acts are accomplished by select participants who serve as the gods mediums. 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. When is Tet Vietnam - Should you travel during Vietnamese lunar new year? PHUKET: The first street procession of this year's Phuket Vegetarian festival was held this morning (Oct 7) as devotees and Ma Song spirit mediums from the Naka Shrine in Wichit trvelled to. Realistic vegetarian meats are used instead. Phone: 088 169 2595. Best Family Resorts in Bang Tao and Laguna Phuket, Cannabis in Thailand: What You Need to Know, Thailand Health Advice: Be Safe and Healthy During Your Trip, How to Catch the Sunrise at Phu Chi Fah, Chiang Rai, Celebrate Loy Krathong in Thailand: A Guide for Tourists, How to Rent a Yacht in Phuket: A Step-by-Step Guide, Hiking in Thailand: Discovering the Epic Natural Beauty of Thailand. 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. 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). 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. However, linking to the blog is welcomed. Phuket Vegetarian Festival is the most popular in town for a reason. Also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, the festival is celebrated by Daoists throughout Thailand in areas with large populations of . Many of these vegetarian dishes aren't easily distinguishable from regular Thai dishes. 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. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a unique event that takes place annually in Thailand and draws visitors from around the world. After 5 great years I have decided to shut down VegEvents in order to focus on building All Impact Jobs. But there is far more to this celebration than food. It's considered as the number one auspicious event on the southern Thai island of Phuket, and may as well be one of the country's most eccentric and extreme festivals. 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. One of the most popular dishes served during the festival is noodles. [6] Vegan food is prepared because it is considered the most pure. Firewalking ceremonies can be seen where devotees walk across burning charcoal without being burned and spirit mediums perform rituals on stage. Phuket's vegetarian festival traditions include macabre scenes of ritualised mutilation, impaling, cutting, partial skinning and bloodletting, as well as intentional wrapping or standing near fire crackers as they are lit - all without any anaesthetic! A carnival-like atmosphere pervades the temple throughout the nine-day festival. There are also direct flights to India, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Germany, among other countries. 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]. 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. 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. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival. 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") { Jui Tui Shrine is the main temple located in Phuket Old Town. 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. 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. Why do Phuketians celebrate it? The Nine Emperor Gods should not be mixed up with the Wang Ye or Princes of the Ming loyalists. The sight of blood and mutilation is gory and might be very disturbing to some. 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. The festival culminates with an extravagant procession featuring elaborately decorated floats and participants dressed in white or yellow clothing carrying joss sticks and firecrackers. For other festivals, see, Nine Emperor Gods Festival celebration in popular folk culture. The shrine is located in the subdistrict of Kathu in the islands interior, between Phuket Town and Patong Beach. After catching wind of this, Buddha decided that in order to avoid damaging crops, hurting insects, or harming themselves during the rainy season, monks should remain in their temples during these three months. Here, they will meditate, pray, study, and teach other young monks. This area is usually closed-off during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival and it is here that vegetarian food stalls abound. What is the vegetarian festival in Thailand? 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. Devotees and participants see this ceremony as cleansing of their past impurities and a fresh start in life. 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). ), Do not eat food with a strong smell (garlic), Keep and wash cooking utensils separately from those used in the event. 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). It is believed that there will be rain throughout the nine days of the celebration. What is the Phuket vegetarian festival all about? Each day of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, processions start from one of the leading shrines around Phuket island. Experiencing the festival for the first time is life-changing as it really needs to be seen to be believed. Many streets are closed off to traffic during the festival period so that people can enjoy the festivities without disruption. Choose the country you plan to visit, then search for your nationality below to see our special travel tips & advice for your country. Vietnam or Thailand Travel: Which one should you visit? Celebrate one of the most famous and spectacular cultural events in Phuket. On the last day, devotees from all the Chinese shrines assemble in Phuket town and walk towards the Saphan Hin. 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. The Nine Emperor Gods should not be mixed up with the Wang Ye or Princes of the Ming rebels. Fortunately, the crew recovered from the disease and that is how the Phuket Vegetarian Festival came into being. The procession walks from an ahm to Phuket town. 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