Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Please check back for the 2012 schedule
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as "Ma Song".
Vegetarian Festival Parades & Scenes
10 RULES FOR THE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL
- Clean your body during the festival
- Clean kitchen utensils and to use them seperately from others not used during the festival
- Wear white during the festival period
- Behave physically and mentally
- No eating meat
- No sex
- No alcoholic drinks
- People in mourning should not attend the festival
- Pregnant women should not watch any ritual
- Women having their period should not attend any rituals
September 26th
KATHU SHRINE
- 17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
- 24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
JUI TUI SHRINE
- 17.09 Lantern Pole Raising
- 23.09 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
BANG NEOW SHRINE
- 17.00 Warriors Propitiation & Lantern Pole Raising
- 22.00 Jade Emperor
- 23.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitation at Saphan Hin
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 16.00 Lantern Pole Raising
- 24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
SAMKONG SHRINE
- 17.45 Lantern Pole Raising
- 24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation (Yog Ong Song Tae & Kiu Ong Tai Tae)
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
- 24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 16.59 Lantern Pole Raising
- 21.09 Jade Emperor Propitiation
- 23.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation at Surin Beach
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 17.00 Lantern Pole Raising
- 22.30 Jade Emperor Propitiation
- 24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
SAPAM SHRINE
- 17.45 Lantern Pole Raising
- 24.00 Jade Emperor & Nine Emperor Gods Propitiation
September 27
The First Day of the Festival
KATHU SHRINE
- 05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
- Worship of Gods
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 20.00 Worship of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
- Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 12.00 / 19.00 Worship of Gods
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
- 17.45 Birth-Death Gods Propitition at Saphanhin
September 28th
KATHU SHRINE
- 05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
- Worship of Gods and Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival.
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 20.00 Worship and Propitiation of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
- Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 17.00 Worship of Gods
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 20.00 Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
- 20.00 Worship of Gods
September 29th
KATHU SHRINE
- 05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
- 16.00 Warriors Propitiation
- 16.30 Food Offering to Warriors
- 19.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation
JUI TUI SHRINE
- 19.30 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.45 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation
BANG NEOW SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Worship of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
- 15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 15.30 Blessing Bang Tao Village
- 19.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation at Koh Sirey Beach
SAPAM SHRINE
- 07.00 Street Procession in Phuket town
- 15.45 Food Offering to Warriors
September 30th
KATHU SHRINE
- 05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
- Worship of Gods and Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival
BANG NEOW SHRINE
- Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 20.00 Worship of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
- 05.30 Worship of Gods
- 07.19 Street Procession in Phuket Town
- 12.00 Worship of Gods
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 12.00 / 19.30 Worship of Gods
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 15.30 Blessing Manik and Cherng Thalay Villages
- 19.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 07.30 Worship of Gods
- 20.00 Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
- Worship of Gods
October 1st
KATHU SHRINE
- 05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
- Worship of Gods
BANG NEOW SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 20.00 Worship of Gods
- 24.00 Propitiation of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
- 05.30 Worship of Gods
- 15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 07.30 Street Procession in Phuket Town
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.09 Propitiation of Seven Stars
- 23.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 07.30 Worship of Gods
- 20.00 Worship of Gods
SAPAM SHRINE
- 19.00 Street Procession in Sapam Village
October 2nd
KATHU SHRINE
- 05.00 Worship of Gods
- 16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
- 15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.09 Fire Walking at Saphan Hin
BANG NEOW SHRINE
- 07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 19.00 Worship of Gods
- 21.00 Fire Walking
SAMKONG SHRINE
- 05.30 Worship of Gods
- 15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 17.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 05.30 Worship of Gods
- 07.30 Street Procession in Thalang District
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 19.30 Worship of Gods
- 21.30 Random Selection to Find Servants to Priests in the Next Vegetarian Festival
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 07.30 Worship of Gods
- 15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
SAPAM SHRINE
- 15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
- 21.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
October 3rd
KATHU SHRINE
- 05.00 Worship of Gods
- 16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
- 19.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
JUI TUI SHRINE
- 08.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
- 21.09 Propitiation of Seven Stars
BANG NEOW SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Bladed-Ladder Climbing
SAMKONG SHRINE
- 05.30 Worship of Gods
- 15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
- 20.00 Bladed - Ladder Climbing
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 19.00 Worship of Gods
- 21.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
- 20.45 Oil Bathing, Tying Children's Wrist
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 19.59 Bladed-Ladder Climbing
- 23.00 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
SAPAM SHRINE
- 20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars
- 20.00 Nail Bridge Crossing
- Oil Bathing
October 4th
KATHU SHRINE
- 05.00 Worship of Gods
- 07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
- 12.00 Worship of Gods
- 16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
JUI TUI SHRINE
- 20.09 Bridge Crossing for Purification
BANG NEOW SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
- 22.00 Random Selection to Find Priests' Servants for the Next Vegetarian Festival
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 20.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 24.00 Propitiation of Gods
SAMKONG SHRINE
- 05.30 Worship of Gods
- 15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
- 20.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 18.30 Street Procession in Thalang District
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.09 Fire Walking at Shrine
- 21.30 Worship of Gods
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town (join with Kathu Shrine's Procession)
SAPAM SHRINE
- Worship of Gods
October 5th
KATHU SHRINE
- 05.00 Worship of Gods
- 09.30 Random Selection to Find Priests' Servants for Next Vegetarian Festival
- 15.00 Fire Walking at Shrine
- 16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Worship of Gods
- 19.30 Bridge Crossing for Purification
- 24.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods and Birth-Death Gods Farewell
JUI TUI SHRINE
- 15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
- 23.09 Siva Farewell
- 23.45 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Saphanhin
BANG NEOW SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
- 22.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell
SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
- 07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
- 20.00 Worship of Gods
- 21.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
- 24.00 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell
SAMKONG SHRINE
- 05.30 Worship of Gods
- 15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
- 19.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
- 23.09 Siva Farewell
- 24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Saphanhin
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification and Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Nai Yang Beach
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 05.30 Worship of Gods
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 18.30 Bridge Crossing for Purification
- 21.30 Siva Farewell
- 22.09 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Surin Beach
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 07.30 Worship of Gods
- 15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
- 20.00 Bridge Crossing for Purification
- 22.30 Siva Farewell
- 24.00 Nine Emperor Gods Farewell at Koh Sirey Beach
SAPAM SHRINE
- 19.45 Bridge Crossing for Purification
- 22.45 Siva & Nine Emperor Gods Farewell
October 6th
KATHU SHRINE
- 17.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
- 17.30 Warriors Farewell
JUI TUI SHRINE
- 17.09 Lantern Pole Lowering
BANG NEOW SHRINE
- 15.00 Food Offering to Warriors and Lantern Pole Lowering
SAMKONG SHRINE
- 17.09 Lantern Pole Lowering
BAN THA RUE SHRINE
- 16.45 Lantern Pole Lowering
CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
- 16.30 Food Offering to Warriors
- 17.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
YOKKEKENG SHRINE
- 16.00 Food Offering to Warriors
- 16.00 Lantern Pole Lowering
SAPAM SHRINE
- 15.45 Food Offering to Warriors
- 15.45 Lantern Pole Lowering
Shrine Locations
