Vegetarian Festival begins in Thailand

BANGKOK, October 14 (TNA) - The annual Vegetarian Festival in Thailand begins Sunday for the next nine days as restaurants and street stalls fly yellow flags to signify a period of abstinence from meat. Across the country, ritual offerings were performed by the Chinese Community to worship divine spirits as part of the festivity. In the southern province of Trang, thousands of people participated in lifting the Teng Ko Pole or bamboo-made flag pole, at the local Kio Ong Aing Shrine to signify the start of the season. Similar activities were held at the Pung Tao Kong Shrine in northern province of Phrae, including the traditional Chinese Lion Dance, which drew excitement among fans of vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Many devotees and tourists in the southern holidaying island of Phuket also travelled to pay tribute to the gods at the Jui Tui Shrine. They also joined in applying gold leaf on the Ko Teng Pole which would be later lifted to mark the start of the Vegetarian Festival. (TNA)