Phuket Vegetarian - Chapter One
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Vegetarian Festival or “Vegetative Eating” originates at Baan Nai Too or Lai Too (Kathu district in present). In the past this area was full of mineral businesses because fertilization of tin so it made many Chinese flow into here for settle and work as a labor in a mine after that it became to a massive of Chinese community.
After there was a Chinese opera, came to perform at Baan Nai Too, an epidemic occurred. The Chinese opera had reminded that they forgot to made “Vegetarian rite” so they performed continually every year. They consulted each other in their group. Eventually, they agreed “if we want to get well from this epidemic, we will hold up the vegetarian rite at Baan Nai Too.” after that an epidemic was exhausted. This was very faithful in among of Nai Too villagers and villagers were participated this ceremony with a Chinese opera also. But nobody didn’t know or was not expert in about this ceremony, they could only respect, ask for pardon and recall to “Kiw Ong Tai Te” or “Kiw Ong Iae” or 9 Chinese Gods.
Until there was an expert who lived at Kung Sai County, China came to Baan Nai Too and saw the villagers were performing a vegetarian ceremony but he recommended that didn’t right by the original of “Chai Tung” (Shrine at Kung Sai) and volunteered to went back to invite the fire joss tick and constitution of this ceremony. Villagers had gathered money for his journey and on 7th of the ninth lunar month by Chinese calendar. In the night time an expert came back from China by the sailboat at Bang Liew (Bang Niew at present time) and sent a news to Kathu villagers that he had reached already, so told all of committees in this ceremony came to receive him on the next day (8th of the ninth lunar month). He had brought joss stick powder and ignited on fire all the time, didn’t extinguish. Besides, he brought chants from scriptures with the Tao Bo Keng labels for attach on Chai Tung Shrine also.
In a part of Ma Song or entranced horses and to show power, after listened to ancient people “Ma Song was been by descent from their ancestors, some were unlucky so they had to be admins for cure and protect the villagers. Torture by pierce with the sharp things, it referred to receive a bad luck instead of the villagers and clean themselves.
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Ma Song (Entranced horses) |
At present with Vegetarian Festival
Now the Vegetarian Festival is help in a part of tourism of Phuket except on white sand beaches and blue seas.
The festival is often celebrated in October and at that time on all of Phuket roads are fully of “Phuket Vegetarian Festival” signs with colorful flags of Chinese language “Kiw Ong Tai Te” or 9 Chinese Gods. People are in white dresses for this holy ceremony and the important of colorful performance is showing power of Ma Song.
Throughout the 9 days of the Vegetarian Festival since the first of ninth lunar month to the ninth of ninth lunar month on Chinese calendar, Thai Chinese people in Phuket will participate densely. And the center will be at a shrine, it’s not only burn the paper or respects the image, people are also eating and join the ceremony together. The 6 important shrines in Phuket are
- Kathu Shrine at Kathu district
- Ta Rue Shrine, Ta Rue Talang district
- Chui Tui Shrine on Ranong Road, Phuket town
- Lor-Rong Shrine on Pattana Road, Phuket town
- Bang Niew Shrine on Phuket Road, Phuket town
- Sam Kong Shrine on Yaowarat Road, Phuket town
Shrines in Phuket
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