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

Lighting Up Kek Lok Si Temple for Chinese New Year

The lights of Kek Lok Si Temple in the blue hour during Chinese New Year

 

Come every Chinese New Year, the famous Kek Lok Si Temple (Temple of Supreme Bliss) in Air Itam, Penang will be lit with lanterns and LED lights, turning it into a sort of light display wonderland. This yearly tradition no doubt attracts a lot of tourist and photographers wanting to capture this beautiful light display.
 
The lights of the temple will come on with the following schedule:

• January 24 to February 8 2019 :  7.30pm till midnight
• February 9 to February 21 2019: 7.30pm till 10pm

 
In my opinion, the best times are during the blue hour, which last only 15min or so, plus at that time, the lights are just being turned on in stages, so you will probably have at most 10 mins to shoot the lights in the blue hour. It is best to go before dark and sort of scout out which angle you prefer, and you might need to go on several occasions to get a good sky. I was lucky to get some clouds this time around.

Parking space at this temple are available at three different levels, the first and the lowest actually consist of three tiers, and the entrance is just past the shops as you turn in to ascend the road up the hill. The second is a smaller car park with an entrance arch leading to the Goddess of Mercy Hall, and with a good view of the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas. The final parking area is somewhat limited and is located at the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin) statue area. If you park there, it is some distance up the hilly terrain and you would have to take the tram down to the main temple to view the main temple complex.

Thaipusam 2019 - Steps to Purification

Roses are red....@ Ho Thi Ky Flower Market

Roses packed for sale at Ho Thi Ky Flower Market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Timeless Charm of Bà Thiên Hậu (Thien Hau Temple) in Saigon

If you are in District 5 of of Saigon, do make it a point to see the Thien Hau Temple there. Officially known as Chùa Bà Thiên Hậu (Pagoda of the Lady Heaven Empress aka Mazu), the temple is quintessentially Chinese in architecture. Whilst there are many Mazu temples elsewhere around the world that are bigger, or more grand, this temple is unique as it has that old school charm typical of Chinese diaspora temples.

 

Look at the roof ceramic diorama, the altar decorations and setup, and donation slips being hung in the temple, and you get transported back in time to when the temple was possibly the grandest ever built at that time in that area and was the focal point of the Chinese community in Saigon. Indeed this is one of the many temples that carries the timeless charm of old Saigon, Vietnam.

Weaving by the Sea

A man weaves coconut fronds into a container on the fort wall of Galle, Sri Lanka. He uses the sheath of the coconut flower, cut into long strips, as a binding twine to hold the weaving together.

Weaving by the sea - with a view of the seafront at Galle.

Using strips of the coconut spathe (flower stalk sheath) as twine to bind the basket.

Everlasting Flower Lady of Ooty

The everlasting flower lady of Ooty, India... reminds you of Eliza Doolittle. She looks like she could do with a break in her life; the frown plus the lines on her face that are deeply etched makes you wonder how is life treating her (read more about Ooty here - Ooty Queen of Hill Stations).

I Feel Pretty...

Feeling pretty in Psar Chaa, Siem Reap

Shot at 38mm, ƒ/6.3, 1/40s,  ISO 1000 with a Nikon D5300 and Tamron AF 18-270mm
F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens.

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

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

Faces of Nepal - The Shopkeeper

Mr Risal manages a secondhand bookstore called Paradise Book Shop on JP Road in the Thamel area of Kathmandu. With his Rudraksha rosary beads around his neck, his grey beard and calm expression, one cannot help but to notice him as one walks down the busy street in this part of town. He does have the countenance of a holy man and very much reminds me of Rajneesh Osho in a nice way.

Mr Risal keeping watch of his Paradise... Paradise Book Shop.

Scenes from Kashmir - Row row row your boat...

The ladies around Lake Dal, Srinagar must have strong arms as boats are a daily means of commute for their children to and from school. This lady is no different and by the way she deftly controls the raft through the narrow canals is more than a clear sign that she has done it for years, if not since childhood.

Row, row, row your boat...

Faces of Kashmir - The Fire-Pot Man

During the colder months in Indian-administered Kashmir, men and women wear long wollen cloaks called Pheran to keep them warm by also carrying their personal charcoal heater in the form a pot in a wicker basket called Kangri. This pot holds about 250grams of charcoal keeps the owner cozy and warm, and also makes Kashmiri women look as if they are pregnant (by virtue of having their hands and pot under their cloak).

In Pahalgam, you go to this man to get your charcoal refill. His wife and him work hard to fill and tamp in your Kangri with charcoal that is available from his shop all day long.

See this post as well regarding the Kangri in Kashmir - of Kangri pots, Pheran cloaks, and the men and women who use them.

Faces of Kashmir - Gulmarg Sleigh Puller

Yes, in Gulmarg Kashmir, they use human power to get tourist on sleigh across the snow fields to the cable car station. He was pulling my sleigh and took a break as the rest were far far behind... Looks like I am not that heavy. Even so, he was huffing and chuffing away, not an easy job.

Faces of Nepal - The Souvenir Seller

The trinket/souvenir seller in Kathmandu Durbar Square... the hopeful look of making a sale for
the day.

Tips On The Run - shooting Chinese temple fairs and deity celebration

I have been doing a fair share of photographing Chinese temple fairs and processions in the past few years. It all started with trying to photograph the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Ampang, and that end up becoming a staple part of my photography, ie doing temple celebrations of deities birthdays, temple openings and various processions associated with temples such as Nine Emperor Gods or Hungry Ghost Festival

Leading the way... the Nezha medium leading the procession with firecrackers along the streets
of Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. You need to be up in front and running with them to shoot him in
action, so good shoes and comfortable clothing is essential. And a bit of courage to face the...
flying firecrakers

Even though it sounds easy, photographing such events are not as simple as it seems. For one, there is the issue of access and boundaries, since they are conducting a religious rites and we should be respectful. Next is the official videographer/photographer, courtesy dictates that he or she would have priority. Then there is the eager crowd, hell bent to get in on a bit of the action. Lastly, the pace of the events and also the locations or spots than you can shoot from. Of course the final million dollar question is what you want to get from shooting these events: Is it the people, the action, the colours or rites?

So there are a few things that one should be ready for when going in to shoot such events. So I have listed down 7 tips that can help in getting the shot that you want:

1. Know the event and timings and go early - they usually start a little later than the stipulated time, but once in a blue moon, they will start early. Also good to be there before the crowd comes.
2. Bring water and candy if the event goes on for a long time (like a long procession) If you don't mind food from the temple, you can usually get at least water and candy from most of these events, or they would have F&B outlets.
3. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a towel to wipe sweat or rain.
4. Spare batteries and spare cards
5. Temple joss urns are good spots to shoot - the combination of smoke, fire and people.
6. Paper burnings at the end of the festivals/celebration are great for fire shots, just watch where you stand and the heat
7. Be polite and respectful as it is their celebration and ritual, even when others are not respectful; you do not want to be labeled as the bastard that disrupted the ceremony.

So there you go, seven little things to consider and most important of all, enjoy the experience. After all, what is the point of shooting it if you yourself, the image maker, didn't enjoy the festivities; you can't expect those who view your images to like it if you don't, right?

Below are a few photos taken at the recent Monkey God birthday celebration in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.

Offering of prayers at temples along the procession route for the Monkey God Festival in
Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.

Burning the talisman to end the
trance session.

Minding the joss-urn at the Monkey God temple
in Setapak.

Heave ho... Carrying the deities on palanquins for a walk.

I whip my (flywhisk) hair back
and forth.

Puffing Away

Power vaping???? 35mm, f/9, 1/200s, ISO 800

A Newari man in Khokana village on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal smoking a traditional bong/pipe. The village is a living museum, and despite showing damage from the 2015 quake, the people are still living in those traditional houses in the village.

Reflection of Life on Dal Lake

What is Srinagar in Kashmir without Dal Lake? A forlorn, dusty, and tired town. And what is Dal Lake without its human inhabitants? A ring that has lost its jewels, deplete of its gleam and glitter.

The people and their colourful shikaras, with the trinkets and carpets that they sell... they reflect the life and the vitality of the lake; ever moving and ever changing. Just like the pretty clouds that skip over the mountains frame the lake physically, the people of Dal Lake frame and bring out the endearing spirit of the lake.

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