Body piercing rituals at Thai Vegetarian Festival

The vegetarian festival in Phuket sees a great deal of devotional activities in the Chinese communities. Trance and heavy piercing are part of the tradition.

This festival (of Chinese origins) is held in the Southern Thai island of Phuket every year in October. Most impressive are the processions that are being held almost every morning during the ten days of the festival. The processions feature devotees of the different city shrines which act as "mediums" for the Chinese Gods. Some of the mediums put sharp objects (mostly metal objects) through their cheeks, as an act of devotion for themselves and for the whole community. Other rituals that are performed include walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs.

All the mediums act involuntarily while on a trance, which allows them to endure the long piercing sessions. Although the wounds are said to be healed completely after the service, scars accumulate on their faces year after year.