It has begun... the Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019

The sudden heavy downpour this evening at Ampang, which threatened to make this year's Nine Emperor Gods invitation ceremony a repeat of last year's rain drenched event, did not deter the participating devotees at all. Furthermore many had learnt a lesson from last year's event and thus came prepared with raincoats, ponchos and umbrellas.

Fortunately for them, the sky quickly cleared and by the time the procession was making its way back to the temple through the main road of Ampang old town, it was a clear and breezy evening. With the start of this festival, the usually quiet Ampang New Village is transformed into a hive of activity as devotees and casual visitors from near and far all pour in to see or participate in this festival.

Same same but Different - the Nine Emperor Gods Festival

If you ask me which temple is better to see or shoot Nine Emperor Gods Festival, my reply would be... they are all 'same same but different'. And if you ask me if what has changed over the years that I have followed this festival, my answer would still be... 'same same but different'.

In my opinion, this popular South-east Asian phrase 'Same same but different' very aptly describes this festival.... and here is why I feel it is so:

• Same same rites and rituals but there are (minor) differences...
• Same same schedule of event every year, with minor tweaks and additions or omissions...
• Same same people participate every year, except they are one year older...
• Same same deity but the invitation timing is different...
• Same same concept of invitation (from a body of water) but locations are different (river, sea, etc)
• Same same God that they pray to but rules of who can participate in the festival and/or fire walking is different from temple to temple
• Same same kind of vegetarian food, but prices are way way different.
• Same same shots taken... but many different stories can be told from the shots of the festival...

So my advice is... go and enjoy this 'Same same but different' festival and don't fret it if you miss something this year... there is always next year... as it will be... 'Same same but different'

So my countdown to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019 posts comes to a close today with this post as tomorrow (28th Sept 2019) will be the eve of this festival... Remember that some temples will carry out the invitation ceremony tomorrow in the evening whilst some do it much closer to midnight... same same but different ya!

Almost time for.... Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019

Just a few more days to the start of Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019. So here is a survival checklist to help you gauge if you are ready for the festival:

1. White clothes, pants and head cover.
2. Vegetarian foodstuff - think of tofu and mock meat, fermented bean paste to seaweed
3. Camera and accessories
4. White candles, red tortoise buns and yellow talismans
5. Stamina
6. and even more stamina to last the nine days

For those who are looking for Ampang Nine Emperor Gods 2019 schedule of events, please visit Cheryl's post for the schedule of events and more info (link below):

• Haze Move Over! Dates for the 2019 Festival (Ampang Style).

Counting down to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019

4 more days to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019....well, 3 more days to the eve of the festival. Many who participate in this festival would most likely be starting their bland vegetarian diet today so as to be 'clean' during the invitation on the eve of the festival. Many temples that celebrate this festival would also already be bustling with the preparations for this annual festival.

Let the spirits descend - the Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019

The Nine Emperor Gods festival, which is starting is 5 days time, is associated with spirit mediums and trances of various deities including those of the Nine Emperor Gods. With these trances, acts of self mortification such as blood letting and body piercing are signs that the divine has taken over the body of the medium and that he or she does not feel any pain. Furthermore the blood letting is also both a sacrifice and purification of the space and surroundings, and thus is often carried out with great spiritual fervor. So let the spirits descend....

When (does it start): 29th Sept 2019 to 7th October 2019 (the eve falls on 28th Sept)

Where (can I see this festival): Nine Emperor Gods temples in South East Asia

What (to do): Eat vegetarian, see mediums perform rituals, watch parades, fire walking etc.

For those who are looking for the schedule of events at Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival, surf over to Cheryl's post in her site - Haze Move over! Dates for the 2019 Festival (Ampang Style) for the schedule and lots more info regarding the festival.

Ready to sek zhai (吃斋/gin je)? The Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is coming, hence the question of being ready to eat vegetarian (chi zhai/sek zhai/吃斋). This festival which is celebrated in South-East Asia is synonymous with a bland vegetarian diet and in Southern Thailand, Gin je (กินเจ) or literally ‘eat vegetarian’ is synonymous with the festival.

Whilst most people associate the festival with the first nine days of the ninth lunisolar month, the festival actually takes off on the eve on the ninth month (last day of the eight lunisolar month) and concludes on the 10th day of the ninth month. Some who participate in this event would have had started their vegetarian diet a few days before the festival, so as to be ‘clean’ when inviting the deity which happens on the eve of the festival or in the wee hours of the first day of the festival.

Conversely, after nine days of festivities, the flag pole and the armies of heavenly guardians called to protect the temple and devotees during the festival would be sent off on the tenth day of the festival, one day after the last day of the Nine Emperor Gods festival.

This year the first day of the festival falls on 29 September 2019 and the ninth day falls on the 7 October 2019. The most obvious signs that a temple is celebrating the festival are temple flags being erected on roads leading to the temple grounds as well as vegetarian food stalls being erected. These stalls that sell suitable bland vegetarian food are usually marked with yellow banners displaying the word zhai/斋 or su/素; or in Southern Thailand, je/เจ.

• When (does it start): 29th Sept 2019 to 7th October 2019 (the eve falls on 28th Sept)
• Where (can I see this festival): Nine Emperor Gods temples in South East Asia
• What (to do): Eat vegetarian, see mediums perform rituals, watch parades, fire walking etc.

See also my other post about this year's Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival:

It has begun... the Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019