Update : Por Tor Festival 2012 was August 31st - September sixth - reckon Por Tor Festival Phuket 2012.
Phuket has a lot to a greater extent than civilization as well as history than most people realise. This weblog has featured many festivals, some are good known throughout Thailand similar Songkran or Loy Kratong. And as well as then y'all direct keep the amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which is celebrated inward a few other areas but is centered inward Phuket. The vegetarian festival is of Chinese origin. The population of Phuket is almost 30% of Thai-Chinese ancestry. Many Chinese came to Phuket inward the 19th as well as early on 20th century to ready trouble organization or run inward the booming tin mining industry, as well as Chinese beliefs came alongside them.
The Por Tor festival is held during the seventh Chinese lunar month, hence the exact appointment changes each year. I had never checked out this festival earlier hence was glad of the adventure to brand a trivial tour inward Phuket Town alongside Chaya from Phuket Heritage Trails to reckon some of the festival. We arranged a coming together on Midweek eve (17th August) inward town alongside several other local residents, bloggers as well as website owners. After a drinkable at the real overnice Siam Indigo bar inward the pump of Old Phuket Town, nosotros headed to the principal marketplace on Ranong Road. Unfortunately .. fifty-fifty the local experts sometimes don't know everything.. it turned out that the principal upshot at the marketplace had been the nighttime before! So some of us arranged to run into Chaya in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than on Fri eve to watch the Por Tor Kong shrine which is the pump of the festival. I consoled myself on Midweek alongside some street photos ...
Fri eve was great. After beingness inward Phuket to a greater extent than than eleven years, it's overnice to uncovering something new. The Por Tor festival is centered some a shrine called Por Tor Kong, it's non far from the large Bang Neow shrine simply southward of the old town on Phuket Road. The belief is that during the seventh lunar month, the ghosts of ancestors tin transcend dorsum into their previous earthly realm as well as watch their onetime homes. Offerings of nutrient are made as well as left for the hungry ghosts. Prayers are said to laissez passer on thank y'all for the run done past times the ancestors inward the past. The most mutual offering is a cerise turtle cake. The cerise color symbolises goodness luck as well as the turtle symbolises long life. I went into town alongside my family, as well as nosotros met Chaya at the good known Keng Tin bakery where Chinese cakes similar mooncakes are made yr round. During the Por Tor festival they specialise inward making giant cerise turtles to hold out used every bit offerings inward the Por Tor Kong shrine which is simply a few minutes walk from Keng Tin.
(above) within Keng Tin, cerise turtles beingness made. The local mention for these cakes is "Ang Ku". They tin hold out made of flour, or to a greater extent than unremarkably present from viscid rice, as well as then decorated alongside saccharide coatings as well as lots of cerise dye. Messages are written on the turtles such every bit Good Luck, as well as they may also comport people's names. The Keng Tin store has been a household unit of measurement trouble organization inward Phuket for iv generations as well as is an of import business office of the local community - peculiarly at this fourth dimension of year! The toll to purchase 1 of the biggest turtles - almost 2500 Baht!
From the Keng Tin shop, it was a brusk walk to uncovering Por Tor Kong shrine. Again, a identify I had never been to, never fifty-fifty knew it was there! It's downwards a small-scale side route - 1 of many small-scale side roads that I direct keep never explored. Not plenty hours inward the day, non plenty days inward the calendar week to explore it all! Many houses on the street nearby were also selling Ang Ku or other foods, along alongside stalls selling clothes, toys as well as the usual assortment of cr*p that makes your kids tell "Oh pleeeaaase Daddy, I desire one!". It was rather to a greater extent than crowded that I expected. We took our small-scale turtle to the shrine where it joined many more...
It's a small-scale shrine as well as it was busy. Candles as well as incense everywhere. My married adult woman headed within to bring together the procession of people heading to the far side of the altar to tell a prayer to the god Por Tor Kong who is responsible for releasing (and feeding!) the ghosts. Sometimes every bit a tourist (and yes, fifty-fifty afterward living hither for this long, practice experience similar a tourist sometimes!) y'all experience a flake out of place. In a small-scale shrine filled alongside people proverb prayers, filled alongside people who direct keep unlike traditions as well as beliefs, I simply endeavour to travel out on out of the means (and accept photos) - at the same time, it's quite a buzz to simply hold out there.
The festival seems to direct keep changed a flake over the years. Chaya told us that when she was a kid, it was considered bad luck to hold out outdoors afterward dark. I direct keep read on websites that children should non hold out exterior afterward 6pm. Well, the streets some the Por Tor Kong shrine were filled alongside kids! Our miss started chatting to a local miss almost the same historic menses every bit her, who explained to her almost the festival as well as helped her sack the newspaper coin inward the furnace. The coin which I sometimes reckon referred to every bit "hell money" is for the ancestors/ghosts.
Having taken 1 turtle to the shrine every bit an offering, our kids were each given a small-scale cerise turtle to accept home. I am non quite certain if nosotros were meant to swallow these or leave of absence them out for the hungry ghosts.. nosotros chose the latter option. We bought plenty of nutrient from the street stalls close the shrine - street snacks tin oft hold out plenty for dinner! The festival carries on for some other week, hence nosotros powerfulness caput into town in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than 1 eve to reckon more. And instantly I know almost this festival, it volition hold out on the calendar for adjacent year... every bit far every bit I tin tell from looking at Chinese calendars, the Por Tor festival volition firstly on August 31st 2012. Many thank y'all in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than to Chaya from Phuket Heritage Trails - if y'all desire to know almost the civilization as well as history of Phuket - contact her!
Map of Phuket Town showing location of Por Tor Kong shrine as well as Keng Tin :
View Por Tor Festival inward a larger map Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com
Phuket has a lot to a greater extent than civilization as well as history than most people realise. This weblog has featured many festivals, some are good known throughout Thailand similar Songkran or Loy Kratong. And as well as then y'all direct keep the amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which is celebrated inward a few other areas but is centered inward Phuket. The vegetarian festival is of Chinese origin. The population of Phuket is almost 30% of Thai-Chinese ancestry. Many Chinese came to Phuket inward the 19th as well as early on 20th century to ready trouble organization or run inward the booming tin mining industry, as well as Chinese beliefs came alongside them.
The Por Tor festival is held during the seventh Chinese lunar month, hence the exact appointment changes each year. I had never checked out this festival earlier hence was glad of the adventure to brand a trivial tour inward Phuket Town alongside Chaya from Phuket Heritage Trails to reckon some of the festival. We arranged a coming together on Midweek eve (17th August) inward town alongside several other local residents, bloggers as well as website owners. After a drinkable at the real overnice Siam Indigo bar inward the pump of Old Phuket Town, nosotros headed to the principal marketplace on Ranong Road. Unfortunately .. fifty-fifty the local experts sometimes don't know everything.. it turned out that the principal upshot at the marketplace had been the nighttime before! So some of us arranged to run into Chaya in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than on Fri eve to watch the Por Tor Kong shrine which is the pump of the festival. I consoled myself on Midweek alongside some street photos ...
Fri eve was great. After beingness inward Phuket to a greater extent than than eleven years, it's overnice to uncovering something new. The Por Tor festival is centered some a shrine called Por Tor Kong, it's non far from the large Bang Neow shrine simply southward of the old town on Phuket Road. The belief is that during the seventh lunar month, the ghosts of ancestors tin transcend dorsum into their previous earthly realm as well as watch their onetime homes. Offerings of nutrient are made as well as left for the hungry ghosts. Prayers are said to laissez passer on thank y'all for the run done past times the ancestors inward the past. The most mutual offering is a cerise turtle cake. The cerise color symbolises goodness luck as well as the turtle symbolises long life. I went into town alongside my family, as well as nosotros met Chaya at the good known Keng Tin bakery where Chinese cakes similar mooncakes are made yr round. During the Por Tor festival they specialise inward making giant cerise turtles to hold out used every bit offerings inward the Por Tor Kong shrine which is simply a few minutes walk from Keng Tin.
(above) within Keng Tin, cerise turtles beingness made. The local mention for these cakes is "Ang Ku". They tin hold out made of flour, or to a greater extent than unremarkably present from viscid rice, as well as then decorated alongside saccharide coatings as well as lots of cerise dye. Messages are written on the turtles such every bit Good Luck, as well as they may also comport people's names. The Keng Tin store has been a household unit of measurement trouble organization inward Phuket for iv generations as well as is an of import business office of the local community - peculiarly at this fourth dimension of year! The toll to purchase 1 of the biggest turtles - almost 2500 Baht!
From the Keng Tin shop, it was a brusk walk to uncovering Por Tor Kong shrine. Again, a identify I had never been to, never fifty-fifty knew it was there! It's downwards a small-scale side route - 1 of many small-scale side roads that I direct keep never explored. Not plenty hours inward the day, non plenty days inward the calendar week to explore it all! Many houses on the street nearby were also selling Ang Ku or other foods, along alongside stalls selling clothes, toys as well as the usual assortment of cr*p that makes your kids tell "Oh pleeeaaase Daddy, I desire one!". It was rather to a greater extent than crowded that I expected. We took our small-scale turtle to the shrine where it joined many more...
It's a small-scale shrine as well as it was busy. Candles as well as incense everywhere. My married adult woman headed within to bring together the procession of people heading to the far side of the altar to tell a prayer to the god Por Tor Kong who is responsible for releasing (and feeding!) the ghosts. Sometimes every bit a tourist (and yes, fifty-fifty afterward living hither for this long, practice experience similar a tourist sometimes!) y'all experience a flake out of place. In a small-scale shrine filled alongside people proverb prayers, filled alongside people who direct keep unlike traditions as well as beliefs, I simply endeavour to travel out on out of the means (and accept photos) - at the same time, it's quite a buzz to simply hold out there.
The festival seems to direct keep changed a flake over the years. Chaya told us that when she was a kid, it was considered bad luck to hold out outdoors afterward dark. I direct keep read on websites that children should non hold out exterior afterward 6pm. Well, the streets some the Por Tor Kong shrine were filled alongside kids! Our miss started chatting to a local miss almost the same historic menses every bit her, who explained to her almost the festival as well as helped her sack the newspaper coin inward the furnace. The coin which I sometimes reckon referred to every bit "hell money" is for the ancestors/ghosts.
Having taken 1 turtle to the shrine every bit an offering, our kids were each given a small-scale cerise turtle to accept home. I am non quite certain if nosotros were meant to swallow these or leave of absence them out for the hungry ghosts.. nosotros chose the latter option. We bought plenty of nutrient from the street stalls close the shrine - street snacks tin oft hold out plenty for dinner! The festival carries on for some other week, hence nosotros powerfulness caput into town in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than 1 eve to reckon more. And instantly I know almost this festival, it volition hold out on the calendar for adjacent year... every bit far every bit I tin tell from looking at Chinese calendars, the Por Tor festival volition firstly on August 31st 2012. Many thank y'all in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than to Chaya from Phuket Heritage Trails - if y'all desire to know almost the civilization as well as history of Phuket - contact her!
Map of Phuket Town showing location of Por Tor Kong shrine as well as Keng Tin :
View Por Tor Festival inward a larger map Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com