Thousands of people lined the streets to watch as devotees, with firecrackers ablaze at their feet to ward off evil spirits, passed by carrying icons and statues of the Jade Emperor and the Nine Emperor Gods on palanquins.
The street processions all converged at the Chinese shrine at Saphan Hin, where a mass bonfire of prayers and blessings were set alight, calling for the gods to return to the heavens.
The first street procession to arrive at Saphan Hin was from the Bang Neow Shrine, with devotees entering the mass ritual area at 9:30pm. The steady arrival of processions continued until the last devotees of the night arrived at 3am.
Along the routes through Phuket Town, thousands of people turned out for the spectacle, including many foreign tourists. Many joined in the festivities by throwing firecrackers in front of the devotees to ward off evil. It is estimated that 30 million firecrackers were set off throughout the festivities last night.
As is tradition, large fireworks displays featured prominently last night, with the main display set off over Saphan Hin, but also smaller displays over the streets of Phuket Town.
The nine-day festival will conclude with the lowering of the ‘Go Teng’ poles at participating shrines across the island at sunset today (Oct 24).
The dates for the Phuket Vegetarian Festival for next year have already been announced: Oct 3-11, 2024.