Liquidity (3) - Nine Emperor God festival, Singapore.

New collection, Liquidity. Getting creative with 15 years of research photos as a visual anthropologist researching Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese Folk religion in Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

The Nine Emperor God festival is Taoist, and is held annually on the ninth day if the ninth lunar month when it us believed that the gods, who usually reside in the constellation of the Big Dipped, descend to Earth for Nine days to bring blessings and renewal to their devotees. It is a major event in the religious calendars of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

The picture is rare as it depicts the 1st and eldest and hence and most senior of the Nine Emperor Gods as he possesses his spirit medium who is in a rrance possession state. He is being attended to by a crowd of tempe helpers and 2 more junior Emperor Gods to his left and right. This is a highly valued photograph in my collection due to its rarity.