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Phuket Vegetable Festival is a celebration of the Chinese community often done in a nine-day period during late September or early October.

During this time, the Chinese people believe that abstinence from meat and other stimulants during the ninth lunar month of Chinese calendar will the people acquire good health and also a peace of mind. It is said that the origin of such festivity is unclear but the Chinese people assume that it was brought by the wandering Chinese opera group who suffered from malaria while they were performing on the island. These people then planned to stick on a strict vegetarian diet and offer a prayer to the nine emperor gods. These gods are said to be responsible on the purification of the mind and body.

When the ill people had recovered, they celebrated by having a festival that was in honor to the gods and also to their happiness and relief at surviving such fatal disease. During this festival, people are encouraged to observe cleanliness of the body, wearing of white shirt, behave physically and mentally, and people who are mourning should not participate in the celebration.

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