A devotee of the Chinese Bang Neow Shrine with more than 10 pineapples mounted on a long spike pierced through his cheeks takes part in a procession celebrating the annual vegetarian festival in Phuket, Thailand, yesterday. The festival, featuring face-piercing, spirit mediums and strict vegetarianism, celebrates the local Chinese community’s belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar will help them obtain good health and peace of mind. SD-Agencies