A devotee to the Chinese Shrine of Jui Tui in Phuket, Thailand, has his face pierced with a host of kitchen knives as he and others prepare to take part in the annual Vegetarian Festival Wednesday, Oct. 20. 2004. Ritual Vegetarianism in Phuket traces it roots back to the early 1800's. The festival begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts for nine days. Participants in the festival perform acts of body piercing as a means of shifting evil spirits from individuals onto themselves. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)