A devotee of the Chinese Bang Neow Shrine with spikes attached to plastic pistols pierced through his cheeks takes part in a procession celebrating the annual vegetarian festival in Phuket on September 29. 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. Reuters/Damir Sagolj