The Por Tor festival (also called the Hungry Ghost festival) was something that I'd non fifty-fifty heard of until a few years ago, as well as final yr was the get-go fourth dimension I went to run into what it was close (see Por Tor Festival 2011). Phuket has a mixed population of Buddhists, Muslims as well as people who lean towards one-time Chinese beliefs buy the farm to their ancestry - close 30% of the Phuket population is Thai-Chinese, due to large scale immigration by as well as large inward the 19th century. Many mainland Chinese headed to this business office of the basis - some ended upwards inward Phuket, some inward Bangkok, some inward Penang or Singapore. Phuket celebrates a number of festivals based on Chinese beliefs such equally the Phuket vegetarian Festival (which starts Oct 14th). The Por Tor festival is based on the belief that the spirits of ancestors are released from the spirit basis during the seventh lunar month. And they are hungry!
Offerings are made for the spirits, amongst the most mutual offering beingness a ruby turtle cake called an Ang Ku. These come upwards inward all sizes - to a greater extent than close them later. On the weekend of September 2d the festival was based closed to the primary marketplace position inward Phuket Town. I had meant to larn to this number final year, but seems the Por Tor festival is thence local that fifty-fifty some locals don't know the details as well as nosotros went on the incorrect day! This time, I was at the marketplace position on the correct eve as well as it was busy! Tables total of food, drinks, whole roast pigs, huge turtle cakes as well as people proverb prayers...
These pictures were taken inward the marketplace position closed to 6:30 - 7pm. Firecrackers were beingness laid off upwards on the roof as well as at that topographic point was incense burning all over the house as well as bells beingness rung equally people said prayers at makeshift shrines.
Outside, the route was packed amongst foodstalls as well as at that topographic point were several minor stages ready where dancers as well as singers performed. The crowds are ever quite large at these events, or seem to locomote equally thence many stalls are packed into narrow streets! the photograph below was taken from the 2d flooring of the marketplace position looking at the street below.
After an hr of smoke, bells as well as crowds as well as an extra 10 minutes wasted equally I had originally parked the car, walked almost to the marketplace position as well as and thence constitute that the retention carte du jour for my photographic television camera was inward the photographic television camera handbag (in the car), a mutual depression temperature gulp was called for. Happily bumped into Tim who also blogs close Phuket as well as nosotros managed a few mutual depression temperature beers at the Phuket Backpacker hostel, which seems to cause got been remodeled as well as has a prissy bar downstairs on the route close the marketplace position as well as on this eve a lilliputian escape from the crowded street as well as a house to scout the festival goers transcend by.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few days afterward on September eighth (Saturday) I was dorsum inward town amongst the solid unit of measurement - my married adult woman as well as kids addition ii brothers inward constabulary as well as an uncle inward law. Now, 1 of the brothers inward constabulary is from a real Chinese solid unit of measurement inward Bangkok, but I was surprised to listen that he'd non heard of the Por Tor festival. Do they non practise it inward Bangkok? We separate into ii groups. My immature lady as well as I wanted to catch the Kengtin bakery which is good known for making lots of the Ang Ku turtle cakes during the festival. They brand enough of other Chinese trend desserts as well as cakes too, but it's the ruby turtles nosotros came to see!
(above) Making Ang Ku at the Kengtin bakery - applying ruby dye as well as adding decorations. We bought a minor (100 Baht) turtle, but some of the large ones sell for thousands of Baht!
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pair of doors downward from Kengtin - to a greater extent than ruby turtles, as well as some large ones! The 1 inward the photograph below had a toll label - 5,000 Baht, as well as was nonetheless beingness decorated...
They seemed to locomote making cakes inward their front end room. I am fascinated yesteryear the special as well as the mix of sacred objects as well as pictures if y'all await closely at some of the shrines inward people's houses. There are Chinese gods, solid unit of measurement photos, a photograph of an one-time monk as well as of course of didactics a motion painting of the King. If y'all but cause got a quick await through doors equally y'all pass, almost all houses inward Old Phuket Town cause got shrines similar this.
We as well as thence walked downward to the Por Tor Kong shrine, which is the pump of the celebrations.. a Chinese shrine that I did non know existed until final year, hidden away on a minor side street close the much bigger Bang Neow shrine. Lots of street stalls closed to the shrine, as well as within the shrine itself .. organised chaos. Crowded, as well as it's a minor shrine. There was non much room to move. We gave our turtle to somebody who placed it amongst many others at the entrance to the shrine, as well as inward plough nosotros were given a lilliputian packet containing incense, candles as well as "hell money". And nosotros joined the queue to transcend through the shrine as well as tell a prayer. First, lite our candles as well as incense...
Inside it was hot as well as real very smoky - y'all cause got to concord your incense upwards high out of people's faces, but I tell y'all it was hard to breathe as well as the fume was inward our eyes. Let's larn tell our prayers...
(above) Holding my incense upwards high. The walls of the shrine cause got some amazing decorations showing Chinese stories. But no fourth dimension to halt as well as look, continue moving amongst the queue ...
I'd non done this final yr as well as commonly the kids as well as I would cause got my married adult woman to guide us but nosotros could non discovery her as well as the balance of the solid unit of measurement inward the crowds, thence nosotros copied other people as well as a guy told us to set iii lit incense sticks inward each place...
It was a non halt flow of people as well as incense. Quite a "cultural rush" as well as I retrieve my immature lady enjoyed the experience.
Having lit candles as well as left incense inward the shrine, nosotros nonetheless had our hell money to burn. Hell coin is specifically made to locomote burnt equally offerings to the deceased equally it's believed that the spirits involve coin inward the afterlife.
I dear these local festivals. This is the existent Phuket. I am non certain what to retrieve of this, as well as I know a few unusual residents who did also larn to the shrine, but that eve I did non run into whatever tourists or anyone who didn't await similar a Thai local. And on the other eve inward the marketplace position I saw exclusively Tim as well as a lensman who I retrieve was in all probability Japanese. Does this hateful tourists cause got zip involvement inward local traditions as well as events? Or nobody knew it was happening? Or knew close it, but constitute it hard getting from the beaches to town as well as finding the correct house to go? It actually is worth making the endeavor to run into as well as sense something similar the Por Tor festival!
Ah good - side yesteryear side large number is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which is my favourite matter inward Phuket!
Por Tor Festival - Map of Locations
View Por Tor Festival inward a larger map Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com
Offerings are made for the spirits, amongst the most mutual offering beingness a ruby turtle cake called an Ang Ku. These come upwards inward all sizes - to a greater extent than close them later. On the weekend of September 2d the festival was based closed to the primary marketplace position inward Phuket Town. I had meant to larn to this number final year, but seems the Por Tor festival is thence local that fifty-fifty some locals don't know the details as well as nosotros went on the incorrect day! This time, I was at the marketplace position on the correct eve as well as it was busy! Tables total of food, drinks, whole roast pigs, huge turtle cakes as well as people proverb prayers...
These pictures were taken inward the marketplace position closed to 6:30 - 7pm. Firecrackers were beingness laid off upwards on the roof as well as at that topographic point was incense burning all over the house as well as bells beingness rung equally people said prayers at makeshift shrines.
Outside, the route was packed amongst foodstalls as well as at that topographic point were several minor stages ready where dancers as well as singers performed. The crowds are ever quite large at these events, or seem to locomote equally thence many stalls are packed into narrow streets! the photograph below was taken from the 2d flooring of the marketplace position looking at the street below.
After an hr of smoke, bells as well as crowds as well as an extra 10 minutes wasted equally I had originally parked the car, walked almost to the marketplace position as well as and thence constitute that the retention carte du jour for my photographic television camera was inward the photographic television camera handbag (in the car), a mutual depression temperature gulp was called for. Happily bumped into Tim who also blogs close Phuket as well as nosotros managed a few mutual depression temperature beers at the Phuket Backpacker hostel, which seems to cause got been remodeled as well as has a prissy bar downstairs on the route close the marketplace position as well as on this eve a lilliputian escape from the crowded street as well as a house to scout the festival goers transcend by.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few days afterward on September eighth (Saturday) I was dorsum inward town amongst the solid unit of measurement - my married adult woman as well as kids addition ii brothers inward constabulary as well as an uncle inward law. Now, 1 of the brothers inward constabulary is from a real Chinese solid unit of measurement inward Bangkok, but I was surprised to listen that he'd non heard of the Por Tor festival. Do they non practise it inward Bangkok? We separate into ii groups. My immature lady as well as I wanted to catch the Kengtin bakery which is good known for making lots of the Ang Ku turtle cakes during the festival. They brand enough of other Chinese trend desserts as well as cakes too, but it's the ruby turtles nosotros came to see!
(above) Making Ang Ku at the Kengtin bakery - applying ruby dye as well as adding decorations. We bought a minor (100 Baht) turtle, but some of the large ones sell for thousands of Baht!
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pair of doors downward from Kengtin - to a greater extent than ruby turtles, as well as some large ones! The 1 inward the photograph below had a toll label - 5,000 Baht, as well as was nonetheless beingness decorated...
They seemed to locomote making cakes inward their front end room. I am fascinated yesteryear the special as well as the mix of sacred objects as well as pictures if y'all await closely at some of the shrines inward people's houses. There are Chinese gods, solid unit of measurement photos, a photograph of an one-time monk as well as of course of didactics a motion painting of the King. If y'all but cause got a quick await through doors equally y'all pass, almost all houses inward Old Phuket Town cause got shrines similar this.
We as well as thence walked downward to the Por Tor Kong shrine, which is the pump of the celebrations.. a Chinese shrine that I did non know existed until final year, hidden away on a minor side street close the much bigger Bang Neow shrine. Lots of street stalls closed to the shrine, as well as within the shrine itself .. organised chaos. Crowded, as well as it's a minor shrine. There was non much room to move. We gave our turtle to somebody who placed it amongst many others at the entrance to the shrine, as well as inward plough nosotros were given a lilliputian packet containing incense, candles as well as "hell money". And nosotros joined the queue to transcend through the shrine as well as tell a prayer. First, lite our candles as well as incense...
Inside it was hot as well as real very smoky - y'all cause got to concord your incense upwards high out of people's faces, but I tell y'all it was hard to breathe as well as the fume was inward our eyes. Let's larn tell our prayers...
(above) Holding my incense upwards high. The walls of the shrine cause got some amazing decorations showing Chinese stories. But no fourth dimension to halt as well as look, continue moving amongst the queue ...
I'd non done this final yr as well as commonly the kids as well as I would cause got my married adult woman to guide us but nosotros could non discovery her as well as the balance of the solid unit of measurement inward the crowds, thence nosotros copied other people as well as a guy told us to set iii lit incense sticks inward each place...
It was a non halt flow of people as well as incense. Quite a "cultural rush" as well as I retrieve my immature lady enjoyed the experience.
Having lit candles as well as left incense inward the shrine, nosotros nonetheless had our hell money to burn. Hell coin is specifically made to locomote burnt equally offerings to the deceased equally it's believed that the spirits involve coin inward the afterlife.
I dear these local festivals. This is the existent Phuket. I am non certain what to retrieve of this, as well as I know a few unusual residents who did also larn to the shrine, but that eve I did non run into whatever tourists or anyone who didn't await similar a Thai local. And on the other eve inward the marketplace position I saw exclusively Tim as well as a lensman who I retrieve was in all probability Japanese. Does this hateful tourists cause got zip involvement inward local traditions as well as events? Or nobody knew it was happening? Or knew close it, but constitute it hard getting from the beaches to town as well as finding the correct house to go? It actually is worth making the endeavor to run into as well as sense something similar the Por Tor festival!
Ah good - side yesteryear side large number is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which is my favourite matter inward Phuket!
Por Tor Festival - Map of Locations
View Por Tor Festival inward a larger map Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com