Hokkien Chinese in Phuket 普吉岛的闽南人 Published in: 2002 Author: Pranee Sakulpipatana
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THE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL
The Vegetarian Festival falls on the first nine days of the Chinese ninth lunar month.
During this season, followers of this vegetable cult eat only vegetarian food and abstain from any
sinful deeds as a dedication to Kiu Ong lah, or the Nine Emperor Gods.
The Nine Emperor Gods are referred to by devotees as Kiu Ong lah. They are also called
Kiu Ong Tai Te, which means the Nine Great Emperors.
In Phuket, the Vegetarian Festival is said to have started at Krathu district about a hundred
and fifty years ago. At that time, Krathu was famous for tin ore nnd the Chinese tin mine
labourers formed a large community there. Once, a drama troupe from China was hired to perform
traditional Chinese operas to entertain the tin mine workers and their families. While this Chinese
drama troupe was in Phuket, an epidemic was spreading and many people died. The Chinese
performers also became ill because of the epidemic and could not give any performances.
Fortunately, they suddenly realized that it was then the Chinese ninth lunar month and that they
did not fast and pay homage to the Nine Emperor Gods as they used to do when they were in
China. A Chinese man was, therefore, sent to China in order to perform a ceremony to
symbolicaDy invite the Nine Emperor Gods from a temple in China to Phuket. He brought back
an urn containing a large volume of incense, which had been a light since the invitation ceremony
he performed when he was in China. In the following year, the Chinese drama troupe as well as
the local Chinese started this festival. Soon, the epidemic stopped. From then on, people in
Phuket have celebrated this festival.
The Chinese Vegetarian Festival on Phuket island has become a vastly popular event in
recent decades. There are three vegetable shrines founded by immigrants from Fujien province in
China. This festival draws the attention of a large and growing number of participants, most
conspicuous among them being the spirit mediums and the participants.
It is said that the best place to participate in the vegetarian festival is Phuket, Thailand.
This festival originated in China approximately 3,000 years ago. Luang Amnaj "Tan kuad" the
powerful mining magnet in Phuket sent a group of people to get the incense bowl from the
Vegetarian Shrine in the Southern part of China and return with it as the main symbol for the
initiation of the Phuket vegetarian festival. This incense bowl is still well preserved at the Kathu
shrine.
Originaly this festival started as a simple, cleansing, social event. There is no
conciousness of social status and primarily it is an unselfish time of giving and sharing.
The vegetarian festival has been placed in the spotlight of Thailand's cultural events.
Unfortunately, certain individuals and groups have tended to commercialize the festival, for
economic and sensational gain. This has in certain ways changed the essence of the festival,
which originated as something to help people to get in touch with themselves and gain a deeper
understanding of the truth of life.
The contributions to development of Phuket has been recognized by members of the Royal
Family, especially, Princess Mahajakri Sirindhom, who is fondly known as the "Princess with the
notebook".The Princess started a fund for research into the Hokkien Chinese system of profit
sharing between the workers in the tin mining and rubber plantation industries which is called
"Kongsi and Kangju" in Hokkien. Hokkien descendents in Thailand feel extremely fortunate in
their adoptive country of Thailand. Members of The Royal Family have been extremely
benevolent towards the Hokkien ancestors. They feel grateful to Thailand as this benevolence has
enabled them to become an integral part of the Thai nation.
