Phuket Vegetarian Festival (Nine Emperor Gods)
Nine days of processions, firecrackers and vegetarian food in Phuket Town. When it happens, what to expect and tips for visitors.
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival, known locally as Tesagan Gin Je, is held during the first nine days of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, usually in late September or October. It is rooted in the Taoist worship of the Nine Emperor Gods and is observed by Phuket’s large community of Chinese descent.
What happens
Devotees follow a strict vegetarian (vegan) diet, dress in white and avoid alcohol and other stimulants for the duration of the festival. Shrines in Phuket Town, such as Jui Tui, Bang Niew and Sam Kong, hold ceremonies and daily street processions.
The festival is famous for its ma song, spirit mediums who go into trance and pierce their cheeks with skewers, blades and other objects, and for the huge quantities of firecrackers set off as the processions pass. Some scenes are graphic.
Tips for visitors
- Processions start early in the morning; check the published schedule from the shrines.
- Wear white if you want to blend in, and bring earplugs: the firecrackers are deafening.
- Keep a respectful distance from the mediums and do not block the procession.
- Yellow flags mark stalls selling vegetarian food, a great chance to try local dishes.
- Similar but smaller festivals are held in Trang, Krabi and Bangkok’s Chinatown.