Freaky Market

We witnessed amazing sights of pain and religious fervour during the parades through town for the Vegetarian festival.

The most gruesome shows during the Vegetarian Festival, were held at the big, central Chinese temple, in broad daylight. The mediums of the gods, once again went into a trance, to become possessed. The drums beat loudly, and a procession of people carrying flags and minature shrines, waited patiently. A couple of local guys, overseeing the events, shuffled us through the crowds to see the devottees being skewered through the face with metal rods. They were dressed in the 'outfits of gods', often shaking, some with eyes rolling back. Attendants dowsed their wounds with water; there wasn't a lot of blood, amazingly, but of course, horrific scenes nonetheless.

In sweltering heat, in the middle of the day, these people with pierced faces ( and necks ), started off to march through town, an event that took many hours. During the parade, the 'gods' visited tables of offerings set up outside shop fronts along the way to give their blessings. Some of these offerings ( eg. fruit ), ended up attached to the face piercings, kebab style.

This activity continued for days, with participants upping the ante, by getting creative with the objects used to puncture their faces with: umbrellas, whipper - snipper, chairs, flags, chains, bicycles, branches, power drill, fishing rods...

The blood flowed freely from a man continually slicing his tongue with a blade imbedded in a bamboo casing, another man was hitting a blade into his chest with a blunt instrument.

Locals lined the streets to witness the bizarre scenes. As the parade approached, an eerie, quiet would fall. The main players often looked exhausted, some clearly in pain, despite their 'god' status. They were soaked in perspiration and from water being poured over them - the only form of relief provided. A couple of women had a rod through their face, but mostly it was the men, some very young, with a face full. After the parade and entourage moved on, huge poles, wrapped in fireworks were let off; the noise shocking after the silence before.