Ronni Pinsler delves deeply into the mythology behind this festival, which takes place at the beginning of October, and uncovers why it is one of the most fascinating and colourful events of the Penang calendar.

During the 40 years I’ve witnessed the Nine Emperors Festival, I’ve watched its popularity grow. In 1970, there were not more than five temples in Penang that took part in it. Today there are at least 30 Taoist temples observing the celebration, some of small groups and others with thousands attending. A large proportion of the Chinese population observe the vegetarian edicts for these ten days.

It’s a spectacular festival with fire-walking, cheek skewering, mediums in trances, activities with red-hot cannon balls, washing in boiling oil, walking over a bridge of swords and culminating climax with the sending off of a burning boat from a Penang beach, or launched into the harbour.

It’s an extraordinary thing to witness, but people in certain states of consciousness can undertake actions that would normally result in serious injury without harm to their bodies. It’s a strictly vegetarian festival and requires devotees to abstain from wearing leather and sexual activity. Smoking tobacco is fine though as tobacco is a plant.

Some strictly observant families in Penang have a separate set of crockery and cutlery to use at this time. Milk is not allowed and the drink of choice is black coffee. Vegetarian stalls are set up all over Penang and are highly visible with their yellow banners advertising vegetarian fare. Some stalls are famous for their particular dishes and style of preparation and are very busy during the period. Many temples provide meals for devotees at lunchtime and in the early evening.

There are nine actual days of the festival and there are nine emperors, however, as with most folk religions, there are many myths and no one seems to know for sure how the festival came about. So I’ve collected the various versions here and you can take your pick!

The Classical myth

The classical and conservative Taoist view is that it pays homage to a group of nine stars that are worshipped by both Taoists and Buddhists. Dou mou (Mother of the Way) and mother of nine stars comprised of two senior deities known as “South pole elder” and “Northern presiding”, who are combined with the seven visible stars of the Big Dipper to complete the heavenly Nine.

The Secret Society myth

The secret societies were created by the rebellion of those supported old Ming Dynasty against the foreign invading Qing Dynasty. There were various uprisings and one of which in 1783 was led by Wan Yun Lang, who was forced to fee to Phuket in southern Thailand. Rebuffed by Thai authorities, they fled to Penang, not before they had established the worship of the nine human sovereigns.

“Bonny Prince” Ming and the Nine Pirates

There are various versions of this myth, which involves the escape of the last Ming prince, “over the sea to Yai” to his rescue by nine pirates, and his death in Thailand after his boat capsized. The discovery of nine incense burners on a nearby beach perhaps indicated that the royal party had been consigned to the stars.

The Generosity Rewarded myth

This legend is widespread over southeast Asian Chinese communities. A high-ranking official gave food and lodging to a beggar during a banquet – against the advice of his colleagues. However, the beggar turned out to be an immortal, who advised the official to take his family high into the mountains to avoid a calamity.

The official tried to warn his guests without success, but they laughed at him for being taken in by a vagabond. Needless to say there was a huge flood and a plague, in which many died.

In gratitude for the warning the high official and his family began to worship the nine emperors. Penang people follow the old China traditional pastime of hill climbing during this season, by hiking up to the temple on the back of Penang hill at Paya Terubong known as the Cheng Ji Chuan or “Temple of 1200 steps”. There is a hall dedicated to Goddess Dou Mou where devotees can pray and replenish their energy with vegetarian noodles.

The Nine Paraplegics myth

This version is so bizarre I have to include it – and my Penang informants have corroborated it. A provincial governor in Fujian had eight sons each of them some kind of physical deformity. He loved his sons so did not have them destroyed as custom of those days might have dictated.

But he kept them well hidden from public view.When the Emperor came to visit this minister he naturally requested to meet his boys and offer gifts. The mother was panicked by the request and fled with all her sons. They were found drowned in the town well. It was not clear if this was an accident or a tragic suicide. But to avert further calamity, worship was arranged for them.

One of two big events in the first night, when the spirits of the Nine Emperors are received, and the festival climax on the night of the Ninth Day, when temples organise processions to the seaside, or nearby rivers, to launch and combust the Nine Emperors boat. The Emperors are seen off with great style. Each temple organises its own activities so visit the temple in advance to find out when these take place.

Try to imagine the colour, noise, and excitement created by the processions of more than twenty separate temples converging in processions with gaily lit floats and boats accompanied by loud music, drum beats and entranced mediums with their entourages, to the seashore to bid farewell for another year.

A typical temple activity calendar might read:
• First Day – Reception of the spirits of the Nine Emperors
• Second Day — Blessing ceremony, luck changing rituals
• Third Day — Oil wok burning, creation of herbal medicines with mediums in trance splashing boiling oil. Distribution of herbal medicine bottles with the temple logo usually takes place the following day.
• Fourth Day – Mediums playing with red-hot cannon balls. Mediums crack open whole durians with their palms, other swing spike balls or swords across abdomen and backs to prove their prowess and spiritual protection.
• Fifth Day — Devotees led by mediums perform fire-walking.
• Sixth Day – Bridge of swords ceremony in which the medium leads barefoot devotees over a metal bridge set with swords.
• Ninth Day – the grand send-off of the spirits of the Nine Emperors

Entertainment is supplied in the form of Chinese opera, puppets and variety shows, the performances of lion and dragon dancers. Overnight there will be a stream of devotees waiting patiently to discuss with the deities on duty common family problems. Dinners are also arranged and money collected for good works in the community. Free vegetarian meals supplied to devotees and visitors.

It’s interesting to note that there is a group of nine stars that are worshiped by both Taoists and Buddhists and that this is very similar to the Hindu worship of Durga in the Navaratri celebrations of the nine planets. The two festivals are at the same time coinciding with a new moon in October and so you can see both at the same time. Both are cosmic celebrations, involving the worship of stars and planetary conjunctions. It’s common to see members of both faiths making offerings at both festivals – another example of Penang friendliness and cultural openness. The festival this year 2016 commences on October 1, climaxing on 9th October (a rare occurrence of the Gregorian calendar following the lunar one).

The main venues of the Nine Emperors festival in Penang (those living in or visiting KL can visit the historic Ampang temple) include:

• Hongkong Street
• Macallum Street Ghaut
• Noordin Street
• Jelutong
• Burma road
• Fahlim
• Rifle range
• Hye Keat estate
• Butterworth Tow Boo Keong

This article was originally published in The Expat magazine (October 2016) which is available online or in print via a free subscription.