Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Held annually in October, Phuket Vegetarian Festival attracts not only Chinese-Thais, but people from all faiths and nationalities that come to celebrate, enjoy delicious vegetarian fare, make merit and watch the unbelievable feats of the Ma Song.

The festival was originally formed by a wandering Chinese opera troupe in the town of Ta Reua in the Kathu district of Phuket in the early 19th Century. Having become severely ill, the troupe observed a strict vegetarian diet in honor of the gods Kiew Ong Tai Teh and Yok Ong Sone Teh in order to cure themselves. The townspeople soon witnessed a miraculous feat as the troupe made a full recovery, who owed their victory over the sickness to a strict vegetarian diet. Shortly afterwards the townspeople started a vegetarian festival in order to bring good luck to the community as well as individuals.

The festival now features amazing feats performed by Ma Song spiritual devotees, such as climbing ladders with bladed rungs, walking over hot coals, and sticking all sorts of skewers and knives through body parts. Ma Song devotees are believed to possess supernatural powers when they enter a state of trance as the gods take over their bodies during the ritual. The sacred rituals and aesthetic displays are performed to shift evil from others onto themselves and in doing so, good luck is bestowed on the community.

During the festival various fireworks and drum performances are held in addition to colorful parades. Shrines and temples are also visited in order to make merit and bring good luck, which is also thought to be brought to those who eat vegetarian during the festival period. Varying on the person’s determination, local participants who are not Ma Song have the choice of going vegetarian for three, five, or ten days.

For further information, contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Southern Office (Region 4) in Phuket on Tel: +66 (0)76 211 036.