Chalong Mayor Samran Jindaphol as chairman of the fair’s organising committee, announced the dates yesterday (Jan 10).
The fair has been observed for 111 years, Mayor Samran pointed out.
Wat Chalong, or Chalong Temple, is the largest temple in Phuket and its annual fair matches the temple’s size and prominence, running for seven days and seven nights.
Officially called Wat Chaithararam, Chalong Temple is the spiritual and cultural centre of local people and the fair is an opportunity for people in the community to gather and have fun with entertainment and pay their respects to the Buddha.
Many Buddhists visit the temple during the annual fair to make merit and pay their respects to sacred objects and to the highly revered Luang Por Chaem, who was Abbot at Wat Chalong for 81 years, from 1827 to 1908.
As is modern tradition, the fair will also include performances of the Southern Thai traditional Manohra dance, as well live performances by artists and hundreds stalls selling local dishes, fresh produce and OTOP products, Mayor Samran noted.
“We invite all Buddhists and the general public to participate in the event,” he said.
The Wat Chalong Fair is organised each year to coincide with Chinese New Year, which this year will be celebrated on Feb 5.
In accordance with the Chinese zodiac, this year, 2019, is the Year of the Pig.