The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a colourful annual event held on the 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, usually in September or October. The festival celebrates the Chinese community’s belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants will help them obtain good health and peace of mind.
The festival is famous for its ‘extreme’ celebrations. These include acts that invoke the gods, from firewalking to body piercing. Acts of self-mortification are undertaken by participants who act as mediums of the gods. These have become more spectacular and daring as each year goes by.
Below is a selection of pictures taken by me this year (2023) in old Phuket Town………..Enjoy
