Vegetarian Festival In Southern Thailand

Taoist devotees take part in the world-renowned Vegetarian Festival - best known for followers piercing their cheeks. The nine-day long Nine Emperor Gods Festival takes place around South East Asia but is most well known in Thailand, where the Thai Chinese communities often take part in the extreme religious rituals. It is known in Thailand as the Vegetarian Festival or thetsakan kin che. Footage from Hat Yai, southern Thailand, taken on October 14, shows locals slashing their tongues, piercing their cheeks with large spears while others inserted long needles in their arms. The gathering from all of the local temples then walked through the town centre alongside Chinese dragons and firecrackers. The devotees perform ritual mutilation upon themselves while in a trace-like state without anaesthetic. The practice is a show of devotion to their gods, their beliefs and their ancestors. Worshippers who have taken part claim that the practice leaves them with a feeling of serenity and heightened concentration during day-to-day activities in the weeks following the festival. The Vegetarian Festival is most well-known in the neighbouring island of Phuket, which has a large Thai Chinese population. Tens of thousands of tourists attend the nine-day long festival with events being staged around the island.