LABUAN: The Nine Emperor Gods (Kau Wong Yeh) Festival, which began on Oct 21, ended on Wednesday (Oct 29) with the gods given a symbolic farewell at a riverside at Kg Sungei Keling, here
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Devotees thronged the iconic “Pak Sin Mew” (Temple of 8 Immortals) for the past nine days, seeking spiritual purification with incessant prayers chanted by Taoist monks.
During the festival, devotees adhered to strict vegetarian diet to receive blessings, ward off bad karma and remove obstacles to family life and business, or career.
Observance of rituals associated with the festival differ from temple to temple, with some perform in extreme such as self-flagellation and piercing of flesh with spikes and being immune to pain. In the past, walking on fire was common but this had been discontinued by many.
One highlight of the festival was the procession of bright and colourful floats weaving through the streets and stopping at the “Tua Pek Kong” temple in town to pay respects.
This year, a paper effigy of smoke-emitting huge dragon stole the show.
Temple Chairman Datuk Wong Kii Yii was pleased with the big turnout for the festival.
“We hope one day it would become a tourism product because only Labuan marks the ancient cultural event on such a scale,” he said.
The Nine Emperor Gods are important in the Chinese pantheon of deities.
There are multiple accounts on the origin of the festival. One account is that the emperors were sons of mother Dou Mu, the Goddess of stars.
The emperors were seen as high-ranking and preside over the planets and influence life of mortals.
