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Bigger crowds at this year’s Nine Emperor God Festival at Carnavon St

Written by Nicholas Chan on November 5, 2009 – 11:31 pm -

Last year, I was that at Carnavon St to see the so-called parade of the Nine Emperor God Festival and I didn’t miss it this year too. I went to the same place, to join the fun and took more photos than before. The crowds grows this year. There’s like more photographers than before and came up a group of videographer too. Wonder is it for personal use or work.

This year’s was different because I was alone. As for last year, I went there with my parents and met Ah Kok, but for this year, I met no one. I was alone all the time with my camera.

I went early this year, at around 9pm. People of locals and tourists were already standby for the thing to take place.

The crowds were really big, mostly photographer and I had to squeeze myself in to take shots too.

Something cool was that I got to see how they insert or poke through these steel into one’s mouth. It wasn’t really disgusting because there’s actually no blood coming out, or I couldn’t see it. But it’s very fast, I am sure it’s pain but for a while I guess.

It was just like Thaipusam but this is in the Taoist way. A kind of belief and a kind of tradition. Hoping to get bless.

I went on walking along the street for photos and there’s all these very cool “god-possessed” waiting for the “parade” to start. I am superstitious a little bit, I believe there’s god and ghost hanging around us. What do you think? Do you believe?

Don’t really know how it works but they “it” does works.

When the procession started, the street was filled with all the devotees. I was walking along with them too.

The price of a DSLR is getting lower and lower, competition among brands made it that like a lot of people are their hands on a DSLR, which made more and more amateur photographers appear at event like this. Good thing or bad thing? Very hard to comment on that.

I had fun with the photos, I had fun walking at there. I guess will be changing a new location next year. There’s one at Butterworth which is very happenings and there’s one at Hatyai, Thailand which is more happenings than here. Wow!

Tags: carnavon st, Chinese, Festival, Happenings, lebuh, nine emperor god, Penang, taoist
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Nine Emperor God Festival at Lebuh Carnarvon

Written by Nicholas Chan on October 15, 2008 – 2:09 am -

Last Tuesday was in fact the Chinese celebrated the Nine Emperor God Festival on the 9th of 9th Month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. People were eating vegetarian food for a week for that festival and I joined in on the last day.

I never know about the parade and celebration in town until that day. I should have know about this earlier. In town, at Carnarvon Street, there’s a little parade at night. It’s from Hong Kong Street to Weld Quay where it is to send the god back to the sea.

There’s a lot of decorated flower car, peoples and tourist flows in to join the crowds too. I was there just to take photos and see what it is look like.

There’s a part where the spirit of god possesed the person’s body and some were pierced with a long steel thing on their cheek. It’s longer than what’s they do on Thaipusam but the best part of this, some even jump around during the parade. They have to hold the long steel thing all the way to the end point of this parade at Weld Quay. It’s heavy, they have to hold it with their both hands while walking on the parade.

According to what my friend told me, if one did not take vegetarian during the Nine Emperor God Festival, the possessed person with God spirit will chase him. I went to take vegetarian in the afternoon on that day. Haha.

At some part, peoples carrying the I-don’t-know-what-it-is-with-little-god-statue started running like crazy. People told me that they were possessed but from what I see, it doesn’t look like they were but believe it or not is up to you.

It started from Hong Kong Street, down Carnarvon Street and take a U turn. After the standing there to see them make the U turn, I went back home because it’s getting late and the I got school on the next day. I didn’t join the parade.

I’ll be there again next year. It’s really fun and what’s after this was traffic jam where all the people that join the fun like me goes home.

Tags: carnarvon street, chinese tradition, Event, georgetown, god, nine emperor god, nine god emperor, Penang, penang chinese, penang event
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