Nine Emperor Gods (九皇大帝) Festival 2020 - What to Expect This Year??

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival for 2020 falls on 16 Oct 2020 (eve) till 25 Oct 2020 (ninth day). So what can we expect of this year's celebration? How different would it be from previous years' celebration? Already many Nine Emperor Gods temples in Malaysia are announcing that they will scale down and only allow prayers for this festival, sans all the procession, trances, stalls and festivities associated with this festival.

 

From a devotee's point of view, many are feeling a little lost as some may have vowed to stay in the temple for nine days due to prayers being answered in the previous year, of which now they cannot fulfil this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some having 'borrowed' money from the temple (ie borrowed luck or wealth from the gods) are asking will they still be able to come and repay the 'debt' this year. Will there be vegetarian food stalls open for those who usually get their vegetarian meals outside?

Whilst we are keeping our spirits high, there are still more questions than answers for this year's celebration.... but hopefully all will be better the next year.

If you are unsure of what is this Nine Emperor Gods Festival all about, read my next post - Nine Emperor Gods Festival - All About The What, Who, Why, When and Where of this Festival

• See also my previous post - Let's Start With a Trip Down Memory Lane - Countdown to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2020

Let's Start With a Trip Down Memory Lane - Countdown to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2020

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2020 is less than a month away, (27 days away to be exact) ... So let's start the countdown to this year's Nine Emperor Gods Festival by looking back at last year's pics in anticipation that this year's festival will be starkly different due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cucuk... (Piercing). Thai mediums at Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods Temple (Si Thian Kong)
undergo piercing for the festival parade in 2019.

Next post in this countdown series - Nine Emperor Gods (九皇大帝) Festival 2020 - What to Expect This Year??

See also my previous post - So Near Yet So Far - A Different Nine Emperor Gods Festival for 2020 for a short clip of Jinjang Nine Emperor Gods Festival in 2019.

So Near Yet So Far - A Different Nine Emperor Gods Festival for 2020

Yes, it is only 30 more days before the Nine Emperor Gods Festivals 2020. Yet, this year the Nine Emperor Gods Festival will be different no doubt; as ever since the COVID-19 pandemic raged through the world, everything was different due to social distancing and crowd restrictions rules being imposed by governments.

In Malaysia, some temples have decided to scale down this year's celebration due to concerns of crowd control, whilst some are taking the more drastic decision to cancel the celebrations altogether. For the time being, all we can do is to look back at happier times and hope next year it will be back to normal...

So here's a short clip of scenes from Jinjang Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019 for us to look back on and to keep us in high spirits as we count down to this year's Nine Emperor Gods celebration... with a difference!

When is this festival happening in 2020:

• 1st day of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival - Saturday, 17th of October 2020
  


• 9th day of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival - Sunday, 25th October 2020

Invitation ceremonies related to this festival usually happens in the evening or on the night of the eve of the festival, which is Friday, 16th October 2020.

Next post in this countdown to 2020 Nine Emperor Gods Festival series - Let's Start With a Trip Down Memory Lane

Till We Meet Again - The End of the Hungry Ghost Month

As the Hungry Ghost Month for 2020 draws to a close, we bid farewell to the roadside offerings of food and joss paper, and of the taboos of the month... It was indeed a very different celebration this year under the 'New Normal', and I have only managed to see one large Phor Thor at Sunway Mentari (and even that was scaled down) when in previous years, the problem was more of trying to politely decline friends' invitation to see and shoot the Phor Thor in their area.

 

Of course the best part of a Phor Thor or large Hungry Ghost celebration, besides the prayers, food offerings and trances is the burning of the King of Hades (Da Shi Yeh) to send him and his officials off, together with all the joss paper and spirit tablets of the departed at the end of the celebration. Picture below is the Da Shi Yeh from Sunway Mentari Phor Thor catching fire as they set him alight on the last night of their celebration.

 

So hopefully next year thing will be back to normal, and we shall be able to attend more large Hungry Ghost Phor Thor celebrations... 

Faces of Hungry Ghost Festival - the Taoist Priest

Featured here is a Taoist priest conducting a prayer at a Hungry Ghost Festival in Malaysia, whereby food and even coins on the altar are distributed and tossed to the devotees after being offered to the spirits. And no, he didn't throw the pineapple, but merely passed it to one of the devotees standing nearby. I was hoping he would...

Taoist priest on the altar performing prayers to feed the hungry ghost during Ghost Month
Celebration at Sunway Mentari.

In some Cantonese speaking areas, Taoist priest are sometimes called Nam Mo Lou (喃嘸佬 - Jyut Ping: Naam4 Mou4 Lou2). This is a colloquial term used for a Taoist priest, especially one who performs prayers for the salvation of the deceased or spirits. The term is in fact incorrect as the origin of the phrase Nam Mo is a term from Buddhist text (Na Mo - meaning homage to}, whereas those priest are Taoist. However in many Asian and South East Asian countries, they are colloquially being referred to as such despite being a misnomer (and also disrespectful) for their profession.

 

Hungry Tonight??? - Hungry Ghost Festival under the New Normal

Hungry Ghost Festival 2020 is here... albeit more toned down due to COVID-19 pandemic
restrictions.

Hungry Ghost Festival has started on 19th August 2020... but this year you will probably notice that there are less almost no large scale festivities (Phor Thor Celebration) locally due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions. The so called 'new normal' in which social distancing rules applies and no big gatherings being allowed has affected the traditional Phor Thor celebration... Gone are the stage shows (getai), Chinese opera shows and large tent up areas for this celebration.

 

However, prayers offered by the roadside for wandering hungry ghosts seems to be no less than the previous year. So beware, when you are out at night and walking alone.... you might just not be alone on the streets, something might be out there, watching you go by..... (see this post about the taboos during Hungry Ghost festival)

Talisman - II

Happy Wesak Day 2020

 

Sending the Nine Emperor Gods Home - The End of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival at Ampang

As all good things must come to an end, so after nine frantic and energetic days of  trances, vegetarian meals, rituals and prayers the Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2019 comes to an end. Here at Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Temple, the Nine Emperor Gods was sent off at 3.30am in the wee hours of the morning on the tenth day of the festival. Whilst the crowd wasn't as large as the invitation ceremony (probably due to the ungodly hour), the atmosphere was still very much charged with the religious fervour of the festival.

So long, farewell... devotees from Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Temple sending the Nine
Emperor Gods off at the end of the festival.

Exhausted and drained, it was a rather solemn and quiet affair as devotees escort the Nine Emperor Gods on the journey back to the river, and with hope and certainty that next year we will meet again...

Dates for Nine Emperor Gods Festival in 2020:

• Eve of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival - 16th October 2020
• 1st Day of Nine Emperor Gods Festival - 17th October 2020
• 9th Day of Nine Emperor Gods Festival - 25th October 2020

Click here for the 1st post in the series of 2020 Nine Emperor Gods Festival Countdown post.

Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods Procession 2019 - Walking in the Rain

And we were walking in the rain... but the light drizzle eventually stopped as the procession began. The rain didn't dampen the spirits of the participants and also helped to make the night a cool and pleasant walk for the Nine Emperor Gods procession that meandered through the old parts of Kuala Pilah town.

Walking (or rather waiting...) in the rain... Participants of Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods
Festival waiting for the signal to begin their annual procession.

Crossing the Fire Pit - Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods Temple

Yesterday, on the 6th day of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, Cheryl, Kirk and I decided to head down south to Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods Temple (Si Thian Kong -  西天宫) as we found out that the Thai mediums which the temple had invited were going to do their fire crossing that night.

Of course we left for the temple early (3pm) from KL in anticipation that there will be quite some activity late in the evening before the actual fire-crossing ceremony, which usually happens at night.

One for the show...performing for the Nine Emperor Gods.

We managed to catch the opera troupe perform a ritual performance for the Nine Emperor Gods in the evening, before the Thai mediums went into trance and was performing many self-mutilation acts like tongue cutting and hitting their backs or stomach with knives and axes to draw blood to empower talisman for the devotees.

Cutting... Drawing blood for talisman.

I Believe I Can Fly!

Spray... When things get too hot to handle!

Run, run across the fire pit.

I will carry you through...

But the best part was the fire-crossing ceremony, as this type of fire pit made by burning wood into embers that is typical of Thai mediums is usually very much hotter than the ones done with compressed charcoal bed typical of Chinese temples in Malaysia.

Having crossed this type of fire pit before in Jinjang, I know that speed is essential and that mediums and people crossing it will end up running or literally flying through the hot embers.

At the end of the day, the local folks and Sing Sua Sifu kept us company with food and drinks until the wee hours of the next day, and it was truly an exhausting but fun trip.

It is a wrap...

Faces of Nine Emperor Gods Festival Jinjang - the Priest

The Taoist priest is an indispensable person during the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. Like many Taoist and syncretic Chinese religious festivals, the priest is responsible for all the consecration ceremonies of the ritual space and altar, which is done with the help of his assistants and accompanying musicians.

 

Despite his age, Mr Lim's movements are still full of energy and his voice always thundering above the cacophony of the drums, cymbals and bells during prayer sessions. If you visit Jinjang Nine Emperor Gods Festival, do try to catch a glimpse of the prayer ceremonies led by him, you will be amazed at his vitality and vocal power.

 

  

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!

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.

Colourful Festivals of Malaysia - Thaipusam

Thaipusam is one of the top colourful festival that is celebrated in Malaysia, usually either in late January to early February (in 2019 it falls on 21st January) as the dates are based on the Tamil/Indian calendar.

This festival commemorates the occasion of Lord Murugan being given the powerful Vel or spear by his mother the Goddess Pavarti, which he then uses to vanquish the evil Asura Soorapadman. Central to this festival is the Kavadi Attam or the Burden Performance carried out by devotees as a form of penance and devotion to Lord Murugan. 

The carrying of 'burden' can be as simple as a pot of milk, or extend to the elaborate and towering decorated altars that are carried via hooks and rods that pierces the body of the devotee. Hence the festival is sometimes known as festival of piercings. Whilst some devotees appear to be in a trance when pierced and carrying the burden, others appear to be deeply absorbed in meditative state of mind.

A female devotee rolling on the ground until the steps of the
caves as part of her penance. Helping her along the way are
her family members.

In Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves is a popular spot to observe this festival and be forewarned that the energy is really high and explosive, and the crowds maddening. Devotees take on their burden at a spot by the river across the main road, just follow the stream of devotees and you will find it.

In Penang, there are many locations where the devotees are pierced. The market area of Lorong Kulit (behind the city stadium) is where the large kavadis are placed onto the devotees and a good place to catch glimpses of those scary piercings.

Loy Loy Krathong...

วันเพ็ญเดือนสิบสอง
น้ำก็นองเต็มตลิ่ง
เราทั้งหลายชายหญิง
สนุกกันจริงวันลอยกระทง
ลอย ลอยกระทง
ลอย ลอยกระทง
ลอยกระทงกันแล้ว
ขอเชิญน้องแก้วออกมารำวง
รำวงวันลอยกระทง
รำวงวันลอยกระทง
บุญจะส่งให้เราสุขใจ
บุญจะส่งให้เราสุขใจ

wan pen deuan sìp sŏng
náam gôr nong dtem dtà-lìng
rao táng lăai chaai yĭng
sà-nùk gan jing wan loy grà-tong
loy loy loy grà-tong
loy loy loy grà-tong
loy grà-tong gan láew
kŏr chern nóng gâew òk maa ram wong
ram wong wan loy grà-tong
ram wong wan loy grà-tong
bun jà sòng hâi rao sùk jai
bun jà sòng hâi rao sùk jai

The Loy Krathong Festival is celebrated in Thailand on the full moon day of the twelve month in the Thai calendar (usually in mid November). This practice of floating decorated platforms with flowers and candles, has its roots in Brahminical practices and is tied to giving thanks to the water goddess but nowadays are carried out as a general wish and merit making activity. Here in Malaysia, wherever there is a strong Thai community presence, those communities would still practice this with the locals joining in as well in the festivities. Hence in Kelantan, Northern Kedah, Penang and as well as in Kuala Lumpur you can find the Loy Krathong festival being carried out, usually in association with a Thai Buddhist temple. Happy Loy Krathong!!

Light Me Up... Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2017

Light me up... inflation of hot air balloon at Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2017.

Divine prediction... Fire Watching at Penang Ban Ka Lan Snake Temple

Annually, on the 6th day of the Lunar New Year, the Penang Snake Temple host a fire watching ceremony as it is the patron deity Chor Soo Kong's birthday. The festivities start on the night of the 5th day of the Lunar New Year with various cultural performances and devotees will throng the temple to offer prayer to Chor Soo Kong on the eve of his birthday.

Getting them lit... Devotees throng to the Snake Temple to offer joss-sticks and candles on the
eve of Chor Soo Kong's birthday.

Deep in prayer...the never ending flow of devotees that come to pray to Chor Soo Kong on the
eve of his birthday.

As midnight approaches, an entourage will arrive with Taoist priest and a censer burner on a wooden carrier that will be placed in front of the deity on the main altar. After a short ceremony, joss sticks will be lit and passed to the committee members of the temple. These joss-sticks are then collected back after the members have offered their prayers and the tops snapped off and placed into the censer. The celebrant will then start the fanning until the embers burst into flames. The intensity, height and durability of this flame that is used as a prediction of Penang's quarterly economic state. This process will then be repeated two more times to obtain the prediction for the entire year.

When all three flames have been observed, the celebrant adds a sandalwood block and powder, and all present will rush forward to be blessed by the sandalwood smoke from the burner. When all inside have had their 'blessings', the censer and the carrier are taken out of the temple. There will then be other Chor Soo Kong temples who will also come with their censer in a carrier basket and perform the fire watching ceremony, which is usually used to predict their member's or organisation's luck in the coming year (as opposed to the entire state of Penang in the first one).

Flames that predict the economic well-being of Penang... the fire watching ceremony of
Penang Snake Temple.

Coming up - Thaipusam 2017

Coming up is Thaipusam, which falls on 9th Feb 2017 this year.

Vel! Vel! Veeravel! Vel! Vel! Vetrivel!

Son: Mommy, mommy can I eat this?? Mommy, mommy when are we going to see the world? Mommy, mommy...

Mother: Here son... have this (passes a Vel to her son) 
Son: Ooo, magic Vel (spear)!
Mother: Yes dear, now go play outside, don't make a mess in here... 
Son: Can I go play (beat up) with the (bad) kid next door, Soorapadman? Please, please?
Mother: Ughhh... just play nice, OK?
Son: Okay Mommy (YES! I am so gonna split him in half)