Nine Emperor Gods Festival

The fire element plays a very important role in the Nine Emperor Gods Festival as devotional acts bring the world into balance. The presence of Yang can be very dramatically applied as in the Firewalking rituals, the boom of fireworks,…

When the Nine Emperors Gods are invited to the temple, it is customary for devotees to offer tea and joss sticks in sets of nine out of respect and a sense of Chinese hospitality. Look at those nine little tea…

Ready, Set, Go! The Nine Emperor Gods Festival begins on Saturday

The eighth day at the Nine Emperor Gods festival is a comfortable one. The established patterns linger amidst the anticipation of the finale on the ninth. The day’s rituals are inclusive, rich in blessing and in energy. Here are nine…

Protecting the sacred space of the festival is the priority of the rituals held on Days 3, 6 and 9. These rituals are designed to honour the 5 Taoist Generals and the spiritual armies of soldiers that arrive at the…

I always wonder how we got here, once again, so quickly. This is the beginning; the cycle of renewal; new energies layered on top of the years gone by. On the eve of the festival, it’s all about the smoke…

The eve of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Ampang is always one of great expectations. Before the sun sets, the dragons and lions dance before the altar in a frenzied performance of respect. In that ritual, the sacred space…

There is an interesting energy on the eve of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. For me it is a day of looking back and of looking forward, of seeking to remember what lies ahead. It always feels a little empty…

Hong Kong St Tow Bow Keong is a gathering place. It is the heart of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Penang, respected, honest, dedicated. Here I see a convergence of energies, criss-crossing lines, colours merging. During the rituals, the…

In Georgetown, the other evening, I witnessed a ritual at Tiong Sim Thnuah on Hong Kong Street. They worship the nine emperors as ONE, and present a beautiful, intricately-carved statue of that deity that they refer to as “a kind…