Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival, also referred to as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, has arrived. Spanning 10 days from October 5 to the 15, the competition is iconic for many who like exotic and very, very distinctive cultural events.
It’s a commemoration that invitations historic Chinese spirts to come down from the heavens to witness nearly eight days of fireplace walking, noisy street processions, and an abundance of fireworks. But, the shocking piercings, using large objects jutting through the cheeks of parading mar songs, is maybe, the festival’s most well-known sight to see.
Aside from the annual rituals, the festival’s name introduces a week of abstinence from consuming meat, milk merchandise, alcohol and indulging in a other ‘pleasures of the flesh’ for the island’s massive Thai-Chinese inhabitants. So, in case you are looking for vegetarian or vegan food, this is definitely the place to go. The streets of Phuket Town are full of stalls serving vegetarian food, making it a mecca for herbivores. It’s additionally the week, every year, when pageant organisers complain that the markets inflate the cost of vegetables. Of course.
The festival’s kickoff starts in the afternoon with lantern poles being raised at all the taking part shrines. This is when the Emperor Gods are said to descend down the poles into the shrines at midnight.
No big occasions occur on this present day as it is the first full day of the pageant. But, you'll find a way to see the assorted meals stalls and other processions preparing for the main occasions.
The first avenue begins at present and starts at Naka shrine, which is situated subsequent to the weekend market. With all processions starting at round 7am or earlier and passing by way of the old Phuket Town area, it would be finest to get up early to see the festivities. Most of the processions end at both Sapan Hin or at their house shrines.
Starting brilliant and early at 7am, the road procession begins at Sapam Shrine, which is a number of kms north of Phuket Town. But, if you wish to see the exotic piercings, you'll be able to arrive at any of the collaborating shrines earlier than 7am.
And, to be protected, arriving at 6am to see the piercings is advised. During the night, another procession will start at round 7pm around Kathu village for the Birth and Death Gods (Lam Tao and Pak Tao). This procession is quite noisy! Other shrines additionally function processions on the same time. Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town can additionally be stated to host a big procession as properly.
The early morning procession begins at Sam Kong Shrine. From here, it goes to the north of town which is not too far from the big, Lotus grocery store. Then, it goes previous the Bangkok-Phuket Hospital and thru the old section of Phuket town. Procession goes from the shrine within the north of city (not removed from the large Tesco Lotus store), past the Bangkok-Phuket Hospital and through the outdated section of Phuket town. This area is also good for finding some superb meals with stalls lining the streets for about half a kilometre.
A procession starts early within the morning from Tha Ruea shrine, which is within the centre of Phuket island within the Thalang area. As Thalang was once the principle town in Phuket several hundred years ago, it features several historic temples. โซล่าเซลล์ began right here, predating the Vegetarian Festival by a few a long time.
This day has lots to see with the morning kicking off with one other procession in Phuket Town at the Bang Neow Shrine. The shrine is situated on the south end of the town on Phuket Road and is one of the most essential to participate within the festival. Visitors can anticipate large crowds on this area usually, but as a end result of Covid-19, it may be scaled again.
Another procession, although fairly smaller, begins from Cherng Talay Shrine which is in the Thalang district of the Cherng Talay area. This one is sweet to see if you're residing around Kamala, Bang Tao, or Surin seashores. At night time, fireplace strolling begins at 8pm at many areas. Sapam Shrine, Sapan Hin, Sui Boon Tong Shrine, and Tha Reua Shrine all have members within the fire walks.
Jui Tui Shrine (considered the most important shrine in Phuket Town) starts off the morning processions, drawing massive crowds. And, should you don’t wish to be part of such crowds, you'll find the procession’s route quite easily by following the individuals or the small shrines that are arrange outside residents’ homes.

Later during the day, varied shrines host events together with bladed ladder climbing at Sam Kong and Bang Neow Shrines, and nail bridge crossings at Sapam Shrine.
Kathu Shrine begins the morning street procession, heading to Phuket Town. This one is a very lengthy stroll at 10 kilometres in size and ending at Sapan Hin. It is finest, again, to arrive at round 6am or earlier to see the piercings and different mysterious acts.
This is the last full day of the competition by which Sui Boon Tong shrine kicks off the morning procession. Later, fireplace strolling at Kathu Shrine could be seen together with massive crowds. The evening marks the last full day with a huge procession around Phuket Town, with folks carrying statues of the gods to Sapan Hin.
The shrines also feature a “Bridge Crossing for Purification” ceremony by which everyone appears to be wearing white clothes. The nighttime festivities are extra like being in a war zone as millions of firecrackers and fireworks are set off, making it abundantly clear that you will need to convey ear plugs at the very least.
A mask would additionally assist with the sheer quantity of smoke that's produced by the fireworks. And, it is a superb concept to put on long clothes and trainers as flip-flops won’t protect your ft from getting burned..