Nine Emperor Gods Festival

Well, it's time to eat some vegetables after a year long eating meat. =p

As the title has indicated, today is the fourth day of the nine days vegetarian eating for the coming event.

*I will only be vegetarian for the last 3 days before the end of event*

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival * 九皇爺 * is a Chinese festival to celebrate the return from heaven to earth of the Nine Emperor spirits, who are worshipped as one deity known as Ma Zhu or Tian Hou * 妈祖/天后 * literally means Queen of Heaven who represent health, wealth and prosperity.

The festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar. Devotees flock to the temples throughout the country for this religious festival. The Nine Emperor Gods are part of a spirit-medium cult known locally as Jieu Hwang Yeh. These Nine Deities are believed to dwell in the stars in heaven under the reign of Tian Hou.

On the eve of the ninth moon, temples of the deities hold a ceremony to invoke and welcome the Jieu Hwang Yeh. Since the arrival of the Nine Emperor Gods is believed to be through the waterways, processions are held from temples to the sea-shore or river to symbolise this belief. Devotees dressed in traditional white, carrying joss sticks and candles, await the arrival of their Excellencies.

A carnival-like atmosphere pervades the temple throughout the nine-day festival. During this period of time, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests are heard. Most devotees stay at the temple, eat vegetarian meals and recite continuous chanting of prayer. It is believed that there will be rain throughout the 9 days of celebration.

Well, it did rain in Penang this whole weeks!!!!

The ninth day of the festival is its climax. A procession which draws scores of devotees send the deities back home (a waterway such as river or sea).

This is pictures that i took from one of the temple when we were praying...

The boat that will send the deities back to Heaven

The procession car that will be use on the last day of the event...