(October 2009)
I didn’t know that the Chinese-Thai celebrate the Nine Emperor Gods festival 九皇爷诞 in such a big scale which rivals the ones in Malaysia & Singapore.
Actually, I didn’t know the Chinese-Thai celebrate this festival at all.
The Nine Emperor Gods festival is often associated with the monsoon in October every year.
I was told that traditionally, many people of Chinese origin in Southeast Asia perform prayers and provide offerings at the temple to thank the nine emperor gods for protecting their loved ones’ safe return from their daily fishing trips in the sea.
These days, it’s no longer just about the sea. People pray for good luck, good health, and prosperity.
On the 9th day of the 9th lunar month, a procession with a large group of devotees, dressed in all white, usually escort the Mother of Big Dipper 斗母元君 (mother of the nine emperor gods) and the other deities out of the temple for a few hours of ‘parading’ around the neighborhood before returning to the temple.
In Thailand, the festival starts a 9-day vegetarian festival. One can easily find various types of vegetarian food everywhere.
The procession runs all day with streams of firecrackers announcing the arrival of the deities. One can hear the firecrackers a kilometer away.
Some of the strings of firecrackers are more than 4 meters long! This alone makes the festival in Thailand more lively than in Malaysia & Singapore.
If you are either riding a motorcycle or driving a car, be prepared for the massive traffic congestion.
