Nine Emperor Gods Festival

Today is the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the Chinese calendar. Incidentally, it is the last day of the Nine Emperor festival.

Temples housing the Nine Emperor deities hold elaborate festivals here in Singapore. I grew up in the Recreation Road area and I remember accompanying my mom to the Nine Emperor Gods or Kiu Ong Ya Temple at Serangoon Road, slightly ahead of Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre. There are quite elaborate festivities come the ninth lunar month. However, I reckon none could beat the festivals held at Phuket.

The Nine Emperor Gods festivities at Phuket are awesome. Over there, the devotees do penance and cleanse themselves spiritually by turning in a strict vegetarian diet. Hundreds of tang-kis would walk down the streets of Phuket. Their self-mortification includes piercing their cheeks and bodies with all kinds of objects. Most devotees would distinguish themselves by wearing all-white.

Self-mortification in Singapore is done on a very small scale. Those in Phuket are terrific. The tang-kis would inflict brutal self-hurting of their bodies with axes, knives and all kinds of sharp objects. Stranglely, in exchange, there are only some slight bruises to show.

The notoriety of the Nine Emperor Gods festivities not only centres on the piercing of the bodies of tang-kis. There are also the climbing of ladders of blades and swords, fire walking and the splashing of piping hot oil. Truly dramatic.

My mom has attended the Phuket festival before. I believe one day, I would want to be there to observe the festivities in Phuket.