Nine Emperor in Penang

Sources : The Star, Thursday October 9, 2008
A festival steeped in tradition
By LOOI SUE-CHERN wIth pix by EDDIE CHUAH & KT GOH


SOME traditions fade away when the younger generations have no interest in continuing the practices.

But when it comes to celebrating the Nine Emperor Gods (Kew Ong Yeah) Festival in Penang, traditions cannot be more alive.

This annual Taoist festival once again drew thousands of devotees from all over the state to pay homage to the deities at various temples and shrines as the nine-day celebration came to an end on Tuesday night.


A ceremonial sail boat, used during the Nine Emperor Gods (Kew Ong Yeah) festival in Penang, was set ablaze in the middle of the sea to send the deities back to heaven.
The weather throughout the celebration was also in keeping with tradition.

Penang, at least George Town, was drenched from day one of the festival on Sept 29 until it ended with the sending-off ceremony nine days later.

Tuesday’s showers began at about 6.30pm but ended some two hours later just as the procession was about to begin.

The floats and deities’ sedan chairs rolled out one by one into the streets as the mediums fell into a trance.


Mediums with cheeks skewered, taking part in a procession along Carnarvon Street.

At the Hong Kong Street Tow Boh Keong Temple, young people played a major role in the festivities as many were helping out with the rituals, carrying the wooden sedan chairs, steering the floats and managing the crowd.

Devotees not only brought their parents to the temple, but also their young children to teach them about the festival and the religious practices.

Hundreds of devotees, mostly dressed in white or yellow shirts, holding joss sticks and stalks of chrysanthemum, followed the processions of colourful neon lit decorated floats.


Tourists joining the locals to pay homage to the Nine Emperor Gods.

It was the same scenario at the other temples and shrines dedicated to the nine deities which organised their own processions.

Most of the floats were pulled along by devotees. Some devotees opted for a less tiring journey. They hopped into cars with rolled down window where they stuck out their joss sticks, the vehicles trailing behind devotees on foot.

Joining in the festivities were tourists who found the celebration fascinating and the dramatic scenes wonderful for their photo albums.

The processions were led by mediums ‘acting on behalf’ of the deities. Some of them were skewered in the cheeks while others cracked whips as they led the processions towards the Weld Quay seafront.

At the quay, ceremonial boat-shaped floats from the various temples were taken out to sea by sampan where the floats were later set on fire to symbolise the deities’ return to heaven.

According to Chinese mythology, the Nine Emperor Gods are believed to have the ability to cure ailments and confer luck, riches and long life.