Thailand’s largest island Phuket is an idyllic tourist hotspot. People come to relax on its world-class white-gold beaches, to see the Big Buddha statue, to stroll through the Sino-Portuguese architectural style of the Old Town and to visit the nearby Phi Phi Islands, to name a few attractions. The culinary heritage of the island is also a big draw, reflecting a time when European, Chinese, Indian, Singaporean, Malaysian and Muslim traders did a brisk trade with the region and left their mark on the cuisine. In this UNESCO City of Gastronomy, pork rules and soy sauce is prized over fish sauce, likely the result of Hokkien and Cantonese Chinese people putting down roots from Malaysia.

　　This cultural history comes to a head in one of the biggest festivals of the year: the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Held annually during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (around October), locals of Chinese ancestry, called Peranakans, adhere to a strict vegetarian or vegan diet and pray to the Nine Emperor Gods to achieve inner peace and good health. The timing of the festival coincides with the Hindu festival of Navaratri.

　　During the vegetarian festival, visitors can enjoy spectacular ceremonies, sacred rituals, walking on coal demonstrations and body piercings taking place in the streets, all while sampling delicious vegetarian cuisine prepared at stalls around the city. Here’s your guide to the Phuket Vegetarian Festival which takes place from October 3-11 this year.

　　A Popular Festival

　　Shops in Phuket and throughout Thailand display red and yellow jay flags (เจ) during the festival to indicate they are serving appropriate vegan food for observant participants. Vegan food is the preferred preparation as it is considered the most pure. Noodle dishes, curries and soups are prepared without meat, fish sauce, eggs or dairy. Popular dishes include vegetarian pink noodle soup, which uses mushrooms to substitute pork blood cubes, fried tofu, deep-fried spring rolls and fried taro.

　　This style of eating is known as kin jay. Even when the Phuket Vegetarian Festival isn't happening, you'll come across kin jay stalls in Thailand. Although the dishes are meatless, they are deliberately prepared bland without garlic, chilli or strong seasonings. According to an analysis by a media outlet in Thailand, the 2023 vegetarian festival was expected to generate spending of THB 44.6 billion (USD 1.3 billion), the highest in 10 years and a 5.5 per cent increase over the previous year’s figure.

　　More Than A Food Festival

　　The Taoist festival serves to cleanse the souls and minds of those celebrating it. Its origins supposedly go back to 1825, when an opera troupe made up of Hokkien-speaking Taoists from China’s Fujian province was touring Phuket when they got caught up in a cholera epidemic. They attributed the plague to the fact that they’d been neglecting their worship of the gods, and so swiftly resumed their practices from back home, including ritual mutilation and adherence to a meat-free diet. The epidemic soon ended and the opera troupe left Phuket not long after, but they inspired the annual festival.

　　In one of the more gruesome practices that take place during this time, observers of the festival will conduct ritualised mutilation upon themselves and one another while under a trance-like state, including but not limited to: impalement of the cheeks, arms, face, legs, back etc.; the slashing of limbs, chests, stomachs and especially tongues with swords, axes and knives; bloodletting; and intentionally wrapping or standing near fire crackers as they are lit. This is done in the name of venerating the gods and ancestors.

　　Another tradition that is seen during the vegetarian festival is that of the masong. These are unmarried men or women without families of their own who invite the spirits of the gods to possess their bodies. At temples, they undergo a series of rituals to protect them for the duration of the festival. The masong wear elaborate costumes and pierce their cheeks and tongues with all manner of things, including swords, banners, machine guns, table lamps and flowers. Teams of people accompany the masong to keep their wounds clean and to help support the heavier piercings. When crowds of people gather to watch, the entranced masong distribute blessed candy and pieces of orange cloth with Chinese characters printed on them for good luck.

　　Alongside all this are vibrant dances and parades that line the streets. If you want a front-row seat to these festivities you will have to move between various temples throughout the celebration—pick up a schedule of events to help you find your way. Some of the major shrines where ceremonies are held include the Lai Thu Tao Bo Keng, the Jui Tui Shrine, the Tha Rua Shrine, the Kio Thian Keng Saphan Hin Shrine, the Sang Tham Shrine and the Bang Neow Shrine.

　　Here are some of the 17 precepts of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival that observers have to adhere to:

　　1. Consume only vegetarian food – avoid strongly flavoured foods such as spicy, sweet, sour and salty dishes, as well as vegetables with strong odours. Use separate utensils and containers exclusively for vegetarian food.

　　2. Uphold the Six Precepts – maintain a pure and virtuous mind, refrain from using harsh language, abstain from sexual activity, engage in acts of merit and charity, pay respects to deities, and engage in meditation.

　　3. Wear white clothing and use a white cloth to cover food during the festival.

　　4. Foods that can be consumed but are not recommended include carbonated beverages (soda), seasoning powder like MSG and chocolate.

　　Other Things To Do In Phuket

　　Besides the vegetarian festival, you should check out the Green Elephant Sanctuary Park when you're in Phuket. You won’t find elephant giving tourists rides or doing tricks here. Afterwards, check out Phang Nga Bay, a protected area which comes under the Ao Phang Nga National Park. Its limestone cliffs with caves, collapsed cave systems, and archaeological sites are an absolute marvel. Around 10,000 years ago when sea levels were lower, it was possible to walk from Phuket and Krabi!

　　For a glimpse of the island's world-famous beaches, check out Freedom Beach, Kata Beach, Patong Beach, Nai Han Beach, Yanui Beach and Bang Tao Beach. Also visit Wat Chalong, the largest and most visited temple in Phuket, and the 45m-tall Big Buddha statue.

　　Of course, you can’t leave Phuket without seeing its Old Town where historic Sino-Portuguese buildings line both sides of the street. Stop by the Surin Circle Clock Tower, the Phuket Thai Hua Museum, the Soi Romanee area, Phangnga Road, Kopitiam by Wilai (an old Chinese shop and vintage-style café) and The Old Phuket Coffee "Coffee Station,” known for its strong coffee and sweet pastries.

　　Getting There

　　There are direct flights to Phuket International Airport (HKT) from Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi.