A Festive Occasion Thrice Over, the Eighth Day of the Fourth Moon – 17 May 2013
A festive occasion thrice over, the eighth day of the fourth moon (or month) of the Chinese lunar calendar is the birthday of Tam Kung, an immortal Chinese sea deity, and also commemorated by Buddhists in this part of the world as the birthday of the Buddha. It’s also the climax of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival.
Buddha Bathing Festival
According to Buddhist legend, when the Buddha was born he stood straight, took seven steps, and declared “I alone am the World-Honored One.” And he pointed up with one hand and down with the other, to indicate he would unite heaven and earth. Buddhists are told the seven steps represent seven directions – north, south, east, west, up, down, and here. While Mahayana Buddhists interpret “I alone am the World-Honored One” in a way that “I” represents all sentient beings throughout space and time – everyone, in other words.
Also according to legend, nine dragons sprayed water to bathe the baby Buddha at birth. To commemorate this, at Buddhist temples across Hong Kong, devotees gather to pay their respects to this revered deity by bathing statues of the baby Buddha, with the right hand pointing up and the left hand pointing down, in bowls of water. The ritual is believed to aid in the purification of one’s soul.
Before and after the Birthday of Buddha, celebrants also eat special green cookies, the cookies are deliberately quite bitter, as eating them represents passing through hardship to enjoy better things.
One of the grandest ceremonies is held at the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, home of the Big Buddha and you can find out more about Hong Kong’s Buddhist culture via a tour of Chi Lin Nunnery & Nan Lian Garden.
Tam Kung
Tam Kung, is a Taoist sea deity worshipped in Hong Kong and Macau. With a reputation for being able to control and accurately forecast the weather, Tam Kung – usually portrayed as an 80-year-old man with the face of a 12-year-old child because he is believed to have achieved wisdom at a young age and learned the secret of remaining forever young – has a following among seafarers and a temple in his honour in the former fishing village of Shau Kei Wan was built in 1905 and renovated in 2002 with the original design carefully restored. On May 17, head over to the eastern end of Hong Kong Island for the annual Tam Kung procession by local residents, which includes unicorn, lion and dragon dancing.
