Jui Tui Shrine (Phuket Town)

Yesterday afternoon I took a walk around the streets near Jui Tui Shrine, one of the largest Chinese shrines in Phuket Town. It's just along Ranong Road road from the old market (which has now been demolished and a new building looks like it will be complete sometime soon - great! No more smelly old market!) - easy to find, and certainly worth a look if you are in Phuket Town. Ranong road near the market is busy enough at the best of times. The local buses leave from and arrive at Ranong road. From here you can get a bus to most parts of Phuket island.

During the vegetarian festival, much of the road is packed with food stalls and little restaurants selling Jae (vegetarian) food. I parked a couple of blocks away and wandered along Ranong road. Half close your eyes and ignore the mopeds squeezing through the people, and the road has a very old feel...



And if you look the other way ... a traffic jam. I mean, these people must know what's going on down here. There are plenty of other roads to drive on!



When the vege festival is over the road still has plenty of interest with all the market stalls and local buses, but it's not this crowded! A couple of food stalls...

 

Ah yes, the shrine. Jui Tui is somewhat hidden behind all the food stalls, but follow the smell of incense and you can find it! Yesterday was the day before Jui Tui's street procession, and there were many people heading to the shrine to pray. These shrines are fascinating, very colourful with amazing displays of Chinese gods, a very heady smell of incense in the air, combining to make something you just don't find back home!

 





I have tried to take a couple of short videos too... Practice for tomorrow. I want to take some video tomorrow morning for the Kathu shrine procession to Phuket Town.