The Nine Emperor Gods Festival or Kau Ong Yah in Hokkien , is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. In temples across SE Asia, devotees fervently invite the Nine Emperor Gods to bless them with their presence. It is always a raucous, enjoyable time when people are thankful for their health and happiness and hopeful for better times ahead.

 

In Malaysia, the festival is held at various locations across the country but the true spirit of this festival is held in Ampang, a suburb on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. Year after year, this festival continues to be characterised by the energy and enthusiasm of the Kau Ong Yah devotees in Ampang.

 

 

Saturday, October 5th is the start of this year's Nine Emperor Gods Festival but the festival quickly ascends to Day 6 with a traditional Chinese opera performance of the Nine Emperor Gods in the singular personage of Kau Ong Yah swinging his sword about on the stage, On Day 8 (Saturday Oct 12) the bridge walking ceremony starts at 8pm -- a time when the community can participate in a ritual of cleansing and blessing.

 

Day 9 ( Sunday October 13 ) is the climax of the festival. This is the day of Firewalking, and the glorious send-off procession of the gods. Preparation of the fire pit starts early. The area is fenced to keep people back as it gives off a lot of heat in the early stages of burning. Devotees walk, dance and prance barefoot across the burning embers of the fire pit in a surrealism hard to dislodge from one's memory once having seen it and experienced it.

 

The procession to send the Emperors back to the heavens begins past midnight. It leaves the temple at about 2am. Despite the late hour, this procession is attended by thousands. Everyone is pretty tired at the end of the nine days but the send off is a joyous celebration of blessings received, as the Emperor heads off into the night to return to the heaven.