Nine Emperor

Nine Emperor Gods fest celebrated with much fanfare
By LIM CHIA YING


The 146-year-old Nine Em­peror God Temple in Pekan Ampang was bustling with activities as celebrations for the final day of the annual Nine Emperor Gods fest went under way on Tuesday.

The Taoist temple is bright and vivid with the swirl of colours conjured up by lights and the many different activities inside.

Tens of thousands of devotees came from near and afar to do their prayers and to send off the Nine Emperor Gods on the final day. Naturally, the area was congested as cars had to negotiate their way between pedestrians, while the many food and drinks stalls set up outside the temple grounds were making brisk business.


No sweat: The devotees walking on burning charcoal.

As usual, there were the illegal jockeys hoping to make some money as they guide cars to park in the empty lots.

One of the most popular stalls must be that selling stinky tofu (beancurd), as a line of visitors queued up patiently to have a taste of the delicacy. Making one’s way into the crowded temple, one of the main attractions was the section where male devotees walked on burning charcoal, a rite believed to “burn away” bad luck and start anew.

Devotees who believe they have adhered to precepts of strict vegetarian diet and decency say the coal does not hurt at all, and that they will feel no pain as long as they are “pure in their heart.”


Vivid: There was a hive of activity at the Nine Emperor Gods temple in Pekan Ampang.

Following that, the temple committee, dressed in all white ensemble and white headgears, formed a long line inside the temple passing around items like bowls of rice, flower stalks, pagodas, fruits, and vegetarian foodstuff from one person to another, to signify praying to the Nine Emperor Gods.

After all items had been passed around, the temple was then opened to the devotees who now have their turn to do their prayers.

At another section, a Chinese opera show was conducted live.

After fences were removed from the charcoal section, more booths were put up by people offering services like writing for good luck and selling religious paraphernalia to be burned as offering to the Nine Emperor Gods for blessing.

The crowd continued streaming in towards the later hours of the night, as the buzz continues with another procession to send the deities off on their journey back to the sea at about 3am on Wed­nesday.

Sources : The Star 10th Oct 2008
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For your information:

You can't see this kind of important ceremony in China. The nine emperor god festival originates from Phuket island, Thailand.

There was once that there is a disease wide spread in Phuket.

The people prayed to the nine emperor and they are cured.

And in return as a vow to the nine emperor god, the festival is celebrated yearly on the ninth month first day till ninth day of the lunar calendar.

In China, due to the cultural revolution, lots of the culture and tradition of the Chinese have been lost. So if one really want to understand the culture and tradition of the Chinese, you have to visit to country like Malaysia where we still practice a lot of traditional and Chinese believes.