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DEITY FESTIVAL

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The yearly Chinese deity festival is an important day for the local Chinese community and the whole village.

Deity Festival
Deity Festival
Today is important day for the local community. It is the yearly Chinese deity Festival! Since the afternoon, youngsters have roamed through the village making noise to alert and remind locals regarding the coming festival!

Before the offical start of the festivities, the Chinese shrine is already packed.

Deity Festival
Deity Festival
There is not enough room in the Chinese temple courtyard so kids sit on the surrounding wall and adults stand outside.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
Loud music done with percussion instruments indicate the official start of the festivities. Local youngsters dressed in Chinese colorful clothes cheer the crowd.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
The doors of the Chinese temple are opened for the deity to see the festivities. The performers start to heat up.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
The temple caretaker installs very long firecrackers on two poles inside the Chinese temple courtyard.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
The firecrackers are then lit. There is huge noise during five minutes similar to a machine gun noise until the climax explosion. Red color confetti is flying everywhere.

After the cheerful firecrackers' loud bang, it is time for lion dances.

Deity Festival
Deity Festival
Local performers continue to heat up and check the poles on which the lions will dance.

Two people are inside the lion. They are moving the head and body with precision and ease following the background drum beat. The lion shows every emotion, from happiness and joy to the deepest sorrow.

Deity Festival
Deity Festival
The first lion appears. The lion has a huge, multi coloured papier-mache head with a long multi colored train.

Outdoor cinema companies are still hired to screen at weddings, funerals, temple fairs, ordination ceremonies and Chinese shrine worshippings. Outdoor cinema companies sometimes screen films not to live audiences but to invisible deities as most of the business of outdoor cinema companies is done nowadays with Buddhist temples and Chinese shrines.

Outdoor cinema
Outdoor cinema
In Chinese communities, there are usually Chinese shrines and every year the local people organise an annual worshipping rite to the gods. Besides food offerings, there is always an outdoor movies session as part of the rite. This is very popular during the end of the year and the start of the year.

As a rule, there is always a short Chinese opera film first as the gods are Chinese. Then after there are regular Thai or American movies.

Deity Festival
Deity Festival
During the deity festival, mobile stalls are selling snacks, drinks etc... Various outdoor games are also available for kids and adults. It includes shoot-the-balloon stalls and painting figurines stalls.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
The lion produces an impressive dance while jumping from one pole to another. Colleagues are standing by in case the lion misses one pole and falls.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
The intensity increases when a second lion appears and starts to jump on poles too.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
When the lion dances are over, the participants pay the respect to the local deity.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
The local performers hang over each other and pay their respect to the local Chinese deity. Participants form a pyramid of layers of persons, each standing and supporting on four levels. A small kid is at the top of the human pyramid.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
Once the respects to the local Chinese deity are performed, dragon dance is occuring.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
The festivities' peak is the appearance of a big and colorful dragon handled by many performers.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
Local performers stand on a metallic structure. A dragon is stretching over them and sending smoke from his nostrils. He tries to catch a ball held by another performer on a top of a pole.
Deity Festival
Deity Festival
Continuous loud firecrackers and a beautiful firework celebrate the end of the festivities. The festival ends with cheering and clapping from the amazed crowd.


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