Lunar New Year 2016

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Got what I looking for...a quiet Lunar New Year! No war-like fire works and no action. I was in Ipoh and blessed by the multi-races city where live many Indian and Malay people, so actually life was as usual with shops and restaurants fed our stomach. I did ventured out before midnight on Yew year Eve, same like everywhere in the Chinese speaking world, people would visited the temple, pray for whatever they were wishing for in the coming year right after the new minute began of this year of Monkey, fire were lite up high in the censer, smoke congested the temple hall, while people mill around putting incense in front of whatever statue...one after the other. the most popular one should be the "jat kin fat choi" - "you saw me you are rich". A strange figure for a new year, a statue with a red long tongue and blood dripping eye, a tall hat labeled the jat kin fat choi writing. I had never seem this figure being used in Hong Kong or China. Temple would open all day through new year, this was also the time for beggar and the poor, they would gathered out at the temple gate, waiting for handout money from the believer trying to earned merit.

I came back into Thailand through the Betong border, and by chance I caught up with their New Year annual Temple Fair, and it was surprisingly interesting, the 3 days event started with bless chanting by the senior head monk of the temple, a day of parade through the town with all the presiding deities. A night entertained by dragon and lion dance, stunted by the spirit possessed performer, walking over charcoal and broken glasses, cutting their tongue with knife or ax, said the act should redeemed the sins of the people! It was very interesting to witness the sudden possessed by spirit, and again...the sudden de-possessed and back to normal human being!

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Photos

ready to go
sedans for the presiding deities