Locals celebrated the annual Vegetarian Festival by feasting on meat-free meals in northeast Thailand.

The festivities started with prayers and a firecracker display at the Hock Sieng Tung Vegetarian House in Khon Kaen province on October 14.

This year's Vegetarian Festival, also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival or 'Tesagan Gin Je', will run until October 24, with the Hock Sieng Tung serving vegetarian meals thrice a day for free throughout the celebration.

Benjaporn Kongrungchok, 58, a monk at the restaurant, said the festival is held to commemorate the descent of nine deities, who bestowed humanity with blessings.

The festival lasts for 10 days, ending in a ritual to send off the said gods back to the heavens.

Benjaporn said: 'The vegetarian house cooks four to five sacks of rice, and prepares two to three food items to provide three daily meals, free of charge, for both dining in and takeaway. Breakfast is served from 8 to 10 am, lunch from 11 am to 1 pm, and dinner from 4 to 6 pm.'

The Vegetarian Festival is a significant annual event held in Thailand, particularly in parts of the country with a significant Thai-Chinese population. The festival usually takes place in the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, typically around September or October.

During the Vegetarian Festival, participants observe a strict vegetarian or vegan diet for a period of nine days. The festival has strong cultural and religious roots in Chinese Taoism and Buddhism. The purpose of this observance is to cleanse the body and mind and invite good fortune and merit. Many participants believe it will also bestow good health and spiritual strength.