Held
over a nine-day period in September or October, this festival
celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat,
sex, alcohol, and other vices during the ninth lunar month of the
Chinese calendar will help them attain good health and enjoy a
tranquil peace of mind. The 2012 PVF takes place from the 15th to the
23rd of October.
Though
the origins of the festival are unclear, it is believed that it began
in Phuket after a wandering Chinese opera troupe fell ill with
malaria while performing on the island. The troupe then kept to a
strict vegetarian diet and performed various rituals to two of their
emperor gods.
They
were soon healed, greatly impressing the local population, who
embraced the faith, the ceremonies, and the rituals, which have
become increasingly popular over the years. The Vegetarian Festival,
called Prapheni Kin Jay or Prapheni Kin Phak in Thai (The Festival
for Eating Vegetables), is now one of the major annual events on the
Chinese – and the Phuket – calendar.
With
its mix of the gory and the gourmand, the shocking and the
scrumptious, this is a classic Thai-style festival. Thousands of
people converge on the island every year for the festivities, not
only to participate in a time of cleansing, purity, and abstinence
from all vices - or at least some vices, depending on the individual
- but to witness extreme body piercing and self-mortification.
It
is no exaggeration to say that true believers pierce and puncture
their bodies, even their faces, with virtually any object imaginable:
knives, swords, spikes, machetes, axes, silverware, and the odd
rubber snake – and those are just the small things.
So grab your camera, walk around, and witness the odd site of participants sticking shovels through their cheeks, as well as revolvers, machine guns, maybe the odd gas pump nozzle or, perchance, a miniature battleship. And umbrellas! Umbrellas are popular piercing items, it seems, as are the stalks of pineapples and bananas with the fruit still attached.
So grab your camera, walk around, and witness the odd site of participants sticking shovels through their cheeks, as well as revolvers, machine guns, maybe the odd gas pump nozzle or, perchance, a miniature battleship. And umbrellas! Umbrellas are popular piercing items, it seems, as are the stalks of pineapples and bananas with the fruit still attached.
The local ethnic Chinese population, about one-third of Phuket residents, believes that these sacred rituals will draw the evil away from the community and onto themselves, thus bestowing good luck and fortune to those who religiously and enthusiastically observe and partake in the festivities.
The “ma song” (entranced horses), as the active participants are called, claim to feel no pain and bleed little despite what they are inflicting upon their flesh. They are truly in a state of religious ecstasy, and it is said that the evil spirits observe this and are then frightened away.
Adherents
are enjoined to follow the “ten commitments,” which include:
abstaining from meat, sex, alcohol, and tobacco; wearing white;
behaving properly both mentally and physically; and keeping the body
clean and pure throughout the festival. (See the website below for
further details and festival etiquette.)
As is typical of many traditional rituals and ceremonies throughout the world, people in mourning, and pregnant and menstruating women, are prohibited from participating or even attending the events.
As is typical of many traditional rituals and ceremonies throughout the world, people in mourning, and pregnant and menstruating women, are prohibited from participating or even attending the events.
The
main temple for the event is the Jui Tui Shrine, located near the
Fresh Market in Phuket Town, but festivities are held in the areas
around all six Chinese temples on Phuket Island. Visitors who want to
get the most out of this event should visit the five oldest shrines
in Phuket: Put Jaw, Jui Tui, Bang Neow, Cherng Talay, and Kathu
Shrine.
The
TAT prepares an excellent brochure each year with a schedule of
events which we recommend you consult. It also contains important
advice on behavior and dress, such as wearing white and maintaining
exceptional personal cleanliness, which one should strictly observe.
The festival is in essence a time of renewal, rejuvenation, and the
refreshing of one’s mind and body.
For more information on dates and events, please visit http://www.phuketvegetarian.com
