Taoist Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Kee Ong Yah festival)

[Cecil Lee]

Flying Star Feng Shui actually has its roots in this festival… believe it or not.

It’s also linked to traditional Chinese sword-fighting formations, which are based on these 9 stars, often referred to as “The Big Dipper formation” and more.

Taoist Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Kee Ong Yah festival),  
also known as the Nine Deities Star Gods Festival

This Taoist festival always begins on the eve of the 9th month in the Chinese lunar calendar. These celebrations are generally found in Southeast Asian countries with significant ethnic Chinese communities.

In essence, the Nine Emperors (deities) are associated with 9 stars:

 The Big Dipper consists of seven stars, and each of these stars is regarded as an emperor. 2. In addition, there is one more emperor linked to the North Star in Ursa Major, which you can actually see with the naked eye on a clear night. Finally, there are two assistant or associate stars. And unless you have “bionic” eyes, these two are very hard to spot with normal eyesight—eyes like yours and mine.

So, when you add them up 7 + 1 + 2 = a total of 9 stars, which in the context of this festival are honoured as the Nine Emperor (Nine Stars) Gods.

On the eve of the ninth lunar month, a special ceremony is held to welcome and invite the Nine Emperors (9 stars). Elaborate bridges and structures are set up to symbolise and acknowledge the arrival of these gods from waterways or rivers.

This has nothing to do with the American Ku Klux Klan (KKK) or any white supremacy group. By coincidence, though, devotees also dress in traditional white robes to represent purity. They carry incense and candles as they wait to greet the Nine Gods.

During the festival, the atmosphere is joyful and lively, almost like a carnival. Celebrations may be held in temples, but in Singapore many temples are quite small and cannot accommodate large crowds.

That’s why, for example, land next to the Eunos MRT station is leased for the event. That’s where I took photos from a distance.

This location is also suitable because throughout the festival, priests perform chanting and ring prayer bells.

If the celebrations were held right next to housing estates, residents might not appreciate the noise, especially after 10 p.m. At the Eunos site, FREE vegetarian meals are offered throughout the nine days of the festival, along with continuous daily chanting of prayers.

On the final day of the festival, devotees send the Nine Emperors back to Heaven. By the way, this is one way to relate the concept of the 9 Star Ki or the 9 Palaces in Flying Star Feng Shui to this festival.

[Cecil Lee]

In Malaysia, devotees even allow these deities to enter and possess their bodies. Many of these willing, devout devotees, after possession, may actually go on to literally injure their bodies, including their tongues and so on.

A temple master will often keep a close watch on those who are possessed, not only out of concern for the devotees themselves, but also because they might unintentionally harm nearby onlookers. It can be quite scary.