Penangite Furious After Spending RM81 On Vegetarian Food At Nine Emperor Gods' Temple
The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is observed by Taoists, who follow a nine-day vegetarian diet during the celebration.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 17 Oct 2023, 11:02 AM
A Penangite was infuriated when he was charged RM81 for about five vegetarian food items at a Nine Emperor Gods' temple, sparking a debate whether vegetarian vendors are profiteering during the festival
Sharing his experience in a Bukit Tambun community Facebook group, a man lamented that he was ripped off while dining at an unspecified temple serving vegetarian food.
It is understood that the temple conducts rituals associated with the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, a celebration observed by Taoists.
Also known as the Vegetarian Festival, devotees practise a meatless diet for nine days and offer prayers to the Nine Emperor Gods, believing that wealth and longevity would be bestowed on them.
The man's visit to the temple took an unpleasant turn when he was charged RM36 for three vegetarian burgers, which is roughly twice the price of a typical Ramly burger.
As for the mixed rice that seemed to be intended for two individuals, he was charged RM45 for two servings of rice, four small servings of dishes, and four bottles of lou han guo tea.
"So, are you leveraging on the Nine Emperor Gods Festival to pressure me? Regardless of your explanation, I will not revisit this place and fall victim to profiteering," wrote the man in his post
SAYS has reached out to the man for more information, but has yet to receive a response.
At the time of writing, the post has garnered over 190 comments
"Get swindled once every year," said a netizen.
"Eating vegetarian food is more expensive than meat," wrote a Facebook user, while another disagreed and contended that only those vendors are overcharging customers during the festival.
"Many non-vegetarian (vendors) are taking advantage of the Nine Emperor Gods to make a fortune (by selling vegetarian food). I hope vegetarianism will be embraced by more people and not undermined by these profit-driven vendors. I am not saying vegetarianism is bad, but sometimes, vegetarian food is more expensive than meat," read a top comment.
"They must be burgers that have been personally blessed by the Nine Emperor Gods. Therefore, it's actually great value for money. RM12 is not expensive," a person said in jest
Meanwhile, many netizens urged others not to dine at temples during this period, recommending other vegetarian eateries that serve food at a reasonable price.
