Phuket Vegetarian Festival - Thailand

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival, or “Tesakan Gin djé” in Thai, is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The vegetarian festival and its sacred rituals are believed to bring happiness to those who observe them religiously.

During this period, local people of Chinese origin observe a strict vegetarian diet for 10 days for the purpose of spiritual purification. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples. They include such feats as walking barefoot on hot coals and driving sharp or pricked objects through the skin performed by trance worshipers known as Ma Song. The ceremonies are based on conviction and faith in the gods and the firm intention of purifying bodies and spirits. During the ceremonies, people will be in white clothing. You will find a wide choice of delicious vegetarian dishes.

The origins of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival has its origins in the corner of Kathu, in 1825, when a Chinese opera troupe visited Phuket to entertain the miners fell ill. A strange, inexplicable illness. To heal, she imposed a vegetarian diet on herself while paying homage to the gods. Since this miraculous healing, the people of Phuket have developed a belief in vegetarianism and this is how the Vegetarian Festival has continued for 190 years. It takes place every year during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. During the 10 days that the event lasts, it is good practice to abstain from consuming meat to purify one's soul and to make offerings to the gods.