Kau Ong Yah Procession in Kota Baru ?

Late last month, I was in Kota Baru for a project where 99 % of the population are muslim and where a Islamic party  PAS is the state government.

Strangely enough, the coffee shop that I was having a delicious dinner of Tong Yam, Eng Chai Belacan, Egg Omelette and guess what a unique pork dish,  was openly selling alchohol to diners ! Wow, so what I had read in the mass media about  alchohol and pork being banned in Kelantan seems to be wrong.

Half-way through dinner, I heard the familiar sounds of cymbals clashing and to my astonishment I was witnessing the Annual Nine Emperor Gods (Kau Ong Yah in Hokkien) procession coursing through the streets of Kota Baru ! Wow ! Talk of religious tolerance in an overwhelming  muslim majority state :-)

BTW, you may be interested to know that the longest sleeping Buddha in South-East Asia at 40m is located at Tumpat.

                                        Photo by 7caught7my7eyes7

In addition, the tallest Standing Buddha in South-East Asia, which is porcelain white and looming over its surroundings, is definitely a sight to behold. It is situated at Wat Phothikyan in Kampung Balai, which is a small village, 35 minutes from Kota Baru, Kelantan. It is just opened to the public on August of 2008.