PHUKET VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL IS BACK One of Phuket’s holiest ceremony, nurtured through generations of Chinese heritage, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival will hit the streets of Phuket from September 29 to October 7, 2019. Once a year during the ninth lunar
Surprisingly, the amount of blood you
the main ones to visit are Jui Tui, Bang
month, Phuket organizes its very
will see throughout the festival is kept
Niew, Put Jaw, Cherng Talay and the
own Vegetarian Festival, a week-long
to a minimum!
Kathu shrines.
It is quite common for the devouts
As tempting as it is to jump right into
celebration held to pay respect to the nine Chinese Emperor Gods.
and the people participating in the
the action, it is recommended to take
The festival itself has gained worldwide
vegetarian festival to wear white
some extra precautionary measures
reputation not only for its delicious,
clothes, as a symbol of purity, while
before joining the event as a first-
authentic vegetarian food but also for
they also obey to a set of nine
timer; remember that it is going to be
its long parades, which usually require
rules from the start to the end of
hot, not just from the regular Phuket’s
a lot of firecrackers and is lead by a
the celebrations. The rules will be
weather but also from the sheer
Masong, a person who is possessed
described on the next page.
amount of people combined with the
by the deities and capable of inflicting
smoke of firecrackers, and that you will
himself with physical mutilation, more
The island of Phuket counts more
experience a high decibel level for a
often than not in the form of piercing
than 40 different Chinese shrines and
prolonged period of time, so it is best
his cheeks with a sharp object, like a
temples, and while most of them will
to come prepared with some noise-
blade or a sword.
organize some events during the week,
canceling devices.
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THE GUIDE PHUKET | OCTOBER 2019
