Festivals, 30 Sept to 8 Oct 2027
Nine Emperor Gods Festival
A nine-day Taoist festival, best known in Phuket, where spirit mediums pierce their cheeks in street processions.
The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is held over the first nine days of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar by Chinese communities in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. In Phuket, where it is often called the Vegetarian Festival, devotees wear white and eat no meat for the nine days. Its best-known sight is the processions of spirit mediums from the island's shrines, who pierce their cheeks with skewers, blades and other objects as a sign that the gods have entered them, to the sound of firecrackers. The practice is religious and is described by participants as an act of devotion and purification.
