12. Procession to the Labuan City Centre, 25 October 2025 (Fifth day of the ninth lunar month)
The fifth day marks the peak of the festival and its most public and elaborate event. Preparations for this day had begun well in advance. As early as the second day of the ninth lunar month, volunteers of all ages gathered to plan procedures, assign responsibilities, and coordinate protocols for the procession. On the fourth day, extensive logistical arrangements were made to receive visiting temples and their deities, including the installation of long yellow racks, and the careful arrangement of chairs and tables to host guests from across the island and beyond. These preparations underscored the collective labour required to stage the festival’s central event.
Preparations for the procession begin well before the fifth day of the Festival. A mass briefing is held for all volunteers, during which stations are assigned, duties are explained, and responsibilities are coordinated with the temple committee.
Racks used to hold the deity palanquins of visiting temples are carried into the temple courtyard on the night of the fourth day, in preparation for the arrival of multiple processions the following day.
The racks are prepared in advance to hold the deity palanquins of visiting temples as they arrive the following day. Upon arrival, incense is exchanged between temples and firecrackers are lit to formally welcome the guests.
By late afternoon on the fifth day, participants from various temples, associations, and community groups began assembling at the Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao. Crowds gathered from around five in the evening, with many Labuan-based temples arriving with their own spirit mediums and deity palanquins. Visiting groups were formally welcomed with the exchange of incense and the lighting of firecrackers as they entered the temple grounds. In 2025, numerous temples and Chinese voluntary associations took part. Several groups travelled from further afield, among them a temple venerating Zhao Gongming 赵公明 from Kota Kinabalu, whose representatives were tasked with ritually clearing the procession route by cracking ritual whips, as well as a Five Ancestors lion dance troupe 五祖狮团 that accompanied them.
Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao’s leadership with representatives from participating temples, captured during the procession.
Devotees young and old assemble in preparation to join the procession into the town centre.
Spirit mediums dress formally for the occasion as they await the Nine Emperor Gods’ departure from the Sacred Virtue Palace to commence the procession.
The Nine Emperor Gods’ sacred seal and the federation’s golden seal are respectfully escorted from the Sacred Virtue Palace to a specially prepared float, where they are displayed and venerated during the procession.
In the evening, the Nine Emperor Gods and accompanying deities are formally invited to commence the procession. The procession proceeds from the Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao toward the town centre, culminating at Guang Fu Gong 广福宫, also known as the Da Bo Gong Temple 大伯公庙 and regarded as the oldest Chinese temple on the island (founded circa. 1852). As the host temple for the Nine Emperor Gods Federation’s ceremonial seal in 2025, the Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao’s procession was distinguished by the inclusion of the federation’s golden seal, which travelled on a specially designated float.
The federation’s ceremonial seal is placed on a dedicated float, prepared to depart as part of the procession.
Large crowds throng the temple grounds to take part in the festivities, creating a lively and densely packed scene.
The Nine Emperor Gods’ palanquin, now enshrining the deities, is loaded onto a flatbed lorry with its bearers on board, prepared to proceed toward the town centre.
Along the route, the procession was greeted by lion dances and watched by large crowds, forming a long chain of palanquins, spirit mediums, banners, and ritual personnel. Upon arrival at Guang Fu Gong, the Nine Emperor Gods’ palanquins were stationed within the temple courtyard, while the federation’s seal—distinct from the Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao’s own temple seal—was respectfully received and enshrined for the duration of the visit. Leaders from both temples jointly offered incense and commemorated the occasion.
The Nine Emperor Gods and the federation’s seal arrive at Guang Fu Gong, borne on their own palanquins as they are carried into the temple.
The temple’s leadership, volunteers, and devotees board their respective floats to return from Guang Fu Gong to Labuan Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao.
Following this stop, the procession continued through key parts of the island, including commercial areas, markets, and port zones, allowing both the Nine Emperor Gods and the ceremonial seal to symbolically bless Labuan and its residents. When the deities and the seal eventually returned to Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao, they were enshrined once more within the Sacred Virtue Palace.
The Nine Emperor Gods’ palanquin and the sacred seal return to Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao, where they are respectfully escorted back into the Sacred Virtue Palace.
The evening concluded with a northern lion dance performance by the visiting Five Ancestors troupe, offered in honour of the deities and as a closing gesture to the festival’s most significant public moment.
A northern lion dance by the visiting Five Ancestors troupe concludes the evening, offered in honour of the deities at the close of the fifth day’s main procession.
13. Charity Bazaar and Go Green Clothing Design Competition, 26 October 2025 (Sixth day of the ninth lunar month)
Various booths at the charity bazaar attract large crowds throughout the day.
The day begins with a charity bazaar held in conjunction with the anniversary of the Nine Emperor Gods, reflecting Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao’s engagement with the wider community. Throughout the day, temple volunteers and invited vendors sell vegetarian food and everyday products, allowing devotees and visitors alike to take part in the festival through charitable giving while observing the Nine Emperors zhai 九皇斋.
Judges of the competition with the participating candidates during the presentation segment.
Judges and organisers tally the scores to determine the results of the competition.
The temple simultaneously hosted a Go Green environmentally themed clothing design competition 環保服飾設計競賽. Designed as a family-oriented activity, the event encouraged parents and children to work together to promote environmental awareness through creative reuse. Eighteen young participants from local kindergartens and primary schools presented handmade outfits fashioned from reused materials, including old clothing, plastic bags, bottle caps, containers, and other household items. The presentation added a contemporary and educational dimension to the festival, linking the celebration of the Nine Emperor Gods with broader concerns for sustainability and community responsibility.
Judges pose with temple volunteers and members of the temple leadership following the conclusion of the competition.
14. The Nine Emperor Gods Descend for Blessings, 27 October 2025 (Seventh day of the ninth lunar month)
The Nine Emperor Gods descend through their spirit medium and begin consecrating large talismans and command flags issued by the temple. Marked with vermilion, these sacred objects are then passed through incense smoke rising from the Nine Emperor Gods’ altar.
In the evening of the seventh day of the ninth lunar month, the Nine Emperor Gods descend upon the Nine Emperor Gods Palace 九皇殿 on the third storey of the temple to confer seal-imprint blessings. This ceremony is directed primarily toward temple disciples, committee members, organising personnel, and office-holders, and marks an important moment of reaffirmation within the festival cycle. On this occasion, members of the temple leadership bring with them personal amulets and talismans that had been consecrated in previous years, presenting them once more before the altar to receive renewed empowerment from the Nine Emperor Gods.
The ceremony is conducted in ordered batches. Upon descending, the deities consecrate talismans, offer guidance to the temple’s leadership and inner circle, and mark participants with vermillion applied using writing brushes. Oranges are also distributed as symbolic tokens associated with abundance and good fortune. In addition to those receiving seal-imprint blessings, devotees are given the opportunity to request command flags issued in the deities’ name, as well as talismans intended to be carried on the person or installed on household altars, extending the deities’ protection and blessings beyond the temple precinct.
The Nine Emperor Gods confer blessings upon devotees and committee members during the seal-imprint blessing session.
15. Descent of the Nine Emperor Gods for Public Blessings, 28 October 2025 (Eighth day of the ninth lunar month)
In the subsequent evening, the Nine Emperor Gods are invited to descend again to confer seal-imprint blessings upon male and female devotees from the general public. Unlike the previous evening’s ceremony, which was reserved for the temple’s leadership and inner circle, this rite is open to all. As on the previous night, devotees bring with them sacred objects and talismans to be empowered and consecrated by the deities; these items are processed in batches and passed through incense smoke before being returned. Conducted in an orderly sequence, devotees approach the altar to receive seal-imprint blessings and vermillion markings, while the deities dispense guidance in a more informal and conversational manner. Devotees present their respects, offer tea to mark the occasion, and may also request command flags and talismans to be carried on the person or installed on household altars for personal protection and well-being. The atmosphere is notably lively and convivial, reflecting the festival’s engagement with the broader community.
Sacred objects, amulets, and talismans belonging to devotees are collected and consecrated by the Nine Emperor Gods through their spirit medium. These items are passed through the incense smoke at the altar and then returned to their owners, now ritually empowered.
Devotees receive blessings from the Nine Emperor Gods, marked with vermilion on the forehead and presented with oranges and tea as tokens of auspiciousness.
Devotees convey their birthday wishes to the Nine Emperor Gods by offering tea. The deity then shares the tea with the temple’s chairman and the devotee as a sign of blessing.
16. Honouring Dou Mu Yuan Jun
An altar dedicated to Dou Mu Yuan Jun and the Northern and Southern Dipper Sovereigns, prepared for evening rites marking her birthday.
After the Nine Emperor Gods withdraw from their medium, preparations begin for the next major observance. At approximately ten forty-five in the evening, attention shifts to the celebration of Dou Mu Yuan Jun, the mother of the Nine Emperor Gods. Devotees and temple leaders gather before her dedicated altar within the temple compound to commemorate her birthday with the Three Kneelings and Nine Prostrations.
Cosmetic items are presented as offerings during the Ninefold Offering Ritual for Dou Mu Yuan Jun at the start of the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.
This ceremony marks an important transition toward the festival’s climax. During this observance, various offerings are presented to Dou Mu Yuan Jun, including incense and symbolic items prepared specifically for the occasion, such as cosmetic offerings associated with adornment and refinement. At the conclusion of the rite, the temple leadership formally incinerates the incense paper offerings, signalling the completion of the evening’s rituals and the onset of the festival’s final phase.
Incense paper offered to Dou Mu Yuan Jun is incinerated, marking the conclusion of the ritual.
17. Concluding Rites and Sending Off of the Nine Emperor Gods 29 October 2025 (Ninth day of the ninth lunar month)
The ninth and final day marks the end of the occasion, beginning at the Nine Emperor Gods Palace 九皇殿 with a concluding congratulatory rite for the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. This includes the presentation of the Ninefold Offerings and the ritual of Three Kneelings and Nine Prostrations. From the morning onwards, devotees arrive in large numbers to present offerings and convey their prayers to the Nine Emperor Gods for the last time before the deities’ departure. The food offerings presented on this day are the most elaborate of the entire Festival, marking the culmination of nine days of hosting and ritual exchange.
Devotees pay their respects to the Nine Emperor Gods for the last time before the sending-off ceremony later that night.
Committee members, temple leaders, ritual specialists, and devotees assemble at the Nine Emperor Gods Palace, dressed in full ritual whites and headscarves, in preparation for sending off the Nine Emperor Gods.
Spirit mediums greet and escort the Nine Emperor Gods at the entrance of the Sacred Virtue Palace, with black command flags used to shield and conceal the deities’ sacred objects.
As the day progresses, preparations are made for the sending-off rites. The palanquins bearing the Nine Emperor Gods are brought out directly and carried in procession, with black command flags used to clear the path toward the coast. By nightfall, the festival reaches its climax with the formal sending-off ceremony. Bells are rung and drums sounded as the deities are escorted out from the Sacred Virtue Palace, accompanied by the spirit mediums of Nezha, Jin Zha, and Mu Zha. Sheltered beneath canopies and seated once more in their palanquins, the Nine Emperor Gods depart by the same route through which they were received. At the pier, members of the temple’s inner leadership and ritual specialists board a vessel to send off the Nine Emperor gods via the sea, formally returning the deities to their heavenly abodes.
Devotees dressed in full ritual whites, incense in hand, line the route through the temple courtyard as the Nine Emperor Gods proceed.
A burst of firecrackers marks the departure of the Nine Emperor Gods in their palanquins from the temple toward the coast.
A long line of devotees in white is followed by a flatbed carrying the Nine Emperor Gods’ Ship, with a separate float conveying the temple’s leadership to the pier.
As the Nine Emperor Gods are sent off at sea, devotees mark the Festival’s conclusion by lighting small yellow lotus lamps and candles and setting them afloat on the water 水灯.
The Nine Emperor Ship 九皇船, used to send off the deities, is set alight on shore. The orange horse represents the Nine Emperor Gods’ spirit soldiers.
Back at the temple, devotees change out of ritual whites into red clothing, signalling the close of the Festival.
For most devotees, the deities’ departure marks the conclusion of the festival. White ritual attire gives way to red clothing, signalling the end of the period of ritual restraint and a return to everyday routines, including the resumption of non-vegetarian diets.
The Universe Fortune Dipper Bucket is escorted by the temple’s ritual specialists, with gongs and cymbals sounded en route, before being consecrated and enshrined at the incoming censer master’s home altar.
After the Nine Emperor Gods have departed, another significant transition takes place: the Universe Fortune Dipper Bucket 乾坤斗, which had been venerated within the Sacred Virtue Palace throughout the Festival, is ceremonially conveyed to the home of the incoming censer master. Escorted by devotees and ritual specialists, the vessel is enshrined within the household alongside other domestic deities.
18. Formal Conclusion of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, 30 October 2025 (Tenth day of the ninth lunar month)
Although most devotees resume ordinary dress and diet following the sending-off of the Nine Emperor Gods, the Festival concludes formally only on the morning of the tenth day for the temple’s key ritual specialists. The day begins with ritual face washing using five-coloured flower water, after which meat and seafood offerings are prepared to thank the spirit soldiers of the Five Encampments for their service. During this final Rewarding the Spirit Soldiers ritual 犒军, the spirit soldiers are formally dismissed. Bamboo stakes marking their encampments around the temple compound are retrieved through the spirit-mediums and incinerated together with the five coloured ritual horses used during the festival.
Meat and seafood offerings are arranged at an altar in the temple courtyard on the tenth day of the Festival to thank the spirit soldiers for their service.
The deities recall the spirit soldiers stationed throughout the compound. Command flags are withdrawn, and the bamboo stakes marking each encampment are removed and brought together with their respective ritual horses.
The five ritual horses representing the steeds and soldiers of the Five Directions are positioned and formally sent off by fire. Incense paper is burned and firecrackers lit to thank and dismiss the spirit soldiers.
The formal conclusion is further marked by a series of closing rites. Most visibly, the Nine Lamps—having reached their highest point on the ninth day—are carefully lowered from the bamboo mast with the assistance of cranes. Talismans and command flags affixed to the bamboo structure are retrieved and distributed, and a concluding rite is performed to stand down the remaining spirit soldiers. The tall lamps and bamboo poles are dismantled, bringing the festival cycle to a complete close.
The altar beneath the Nine Lamps is shifted and cleaned. The bamboo poles are dismantled, and the Nine Lamps are moved to the third storey of the temple, where they are left to burn down.
With the assistance of a crane, the bamboo structure supporting the Nine Lamps is carefully lowered. Its base is gradually removed from the ground niche, the bamboo trunk sawn, and the pulley system dismantled.
The temple’s leadership awaits the arrival of guests at the temple entrance for the thanksgiving banquet marking the Festival’s conclusion.
Temple helpers are seated and await the commencement of the thanksgiving banquet.
Temple leaders assist with registration and guide guests to their seats as the banquet begins.
The temple chairman delivers an opening address for the banquet and, together with the vice chairman, presents commemorative gifts to invited guests.
The day culminates in a thanksgiving banquet held to mark the successful completion of the festival and to acknowledge the collective effort behind it. Representatives from participating temples, procession contingents, ritual specialists, and kitchen volunteers are formally recognised, with commemorative photographs taken and tokens of appreciation presented. This final gathering brings the festival cycle to a close, affirming both the communal labour involved and the enduring relationships forged through the hosting of the Nine Emperor Gods.
The temple’s leadership and ritual specialists gather for a final group photograph at the close of the Festival.
19. Epilogue: Ritual, Community, and Tradition
Members of Persatuan Pengurusan Tokong Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao Jiu Huang Da Di, including the temple leadership, ritual specialists, volunteers, and devotees, gather for a group photograph at the end of the banquet.
The Nine Emperor Gods Festival at the Labuan Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao is not sustained by ritual alone, but by the collective labour, coordination, and commitment of a wide community. Over the course of the festival, devotees, volunteers, temple leaders, and visiting contingents from across Labuan Island and East Malaysia come together to host the Nine Emperor Gods with discipline and care. The scale and complexity of the rites—ranging from solemn altar ceremonies to large public processions—are made possible only through cooperation across generations, temples, and associations, each contributing time, expertise, and resources toward a shared purpose.
Beyond its religious dimensions, the festival functions as a living expression of cultural continuity. Practices such as vegetarian observance, collective volunteering, ritual hosting, and public procession are not merely preserved as inherited forms but actively renewed through participation. Younger volunteers learn procedures alongside senior ritual specialists; visiting temples reaffirm long-standing inter-temple ties; and public-facing events invite the wider community into the rhythms of the festival. In this way, tradition is neither static nor insular but sustained through repeated acts of collective engagement.
Throughout the festival, the temple serves as both ritual centre and social anchor. Its ability to coordinate complex ceremonies, receive visiting deities and delegations, and mobilise a large volunteer base reflects the depth of trust and solidarity embedded within the temple community. The festival thus stands as a testament to how religious practice, communal effort, and cultural inheritance converge, enabling a diverse community to gather, collaborate, and collectively sustain a tradition of considerable scale and significance.
Acknowledgments
Having observed many Nine Emperor Gods Festivals in Singapore, West Malaysia, and Cambridge, England, this was my first opportunity to participate in the festival from beginning to end in East Malaysia. I am sincerely grateful to the leaders and devotees of Labuan Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao for their warm hospitality during the 2025 festival, as well as during my return visit in January 2026.
I would like to express my gratitude to Lim Kianchee, secretary of Labuan Feng Huang Shan Ba Xian Miao, for reading an earlier draft of this manuscript and providing valuable comments; to Professor Adam Yuet Chau, the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and the Cambridge Trust for supporting my fieldwork; to Professor Koh Keng We for granting permission to publish my findings on this website; and to Lim Yin Ru and Tan Hui Xuan for reviewing my translation and helping to refine the wording of these essays.
Nine Emperor Gods Project 九皇文化计划 