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Cheung Chau Bun Festival
22 May, 2015 - 26 May, 2015
Cheung Chau Bun Festival (22-26 May 2015)
It all started with a plague that devastated Cheung Chau in the late Qing dynasty (1644–1911). The islanders built an altar in front of the Pak Tai Temple and petitioned the god Pak Tai to drive off the evil spirits besieging the island, while parading statues of deities through the narrow lanes of their village. The plague ended after the performance of these Taoist rituals and 100 years later the rituals are still performed in a festival that is listed as an intangible part of China’s cultural heritage.
The 2-day event includes Taoist ceremonies, Piu Sik Parade and the Bun Scrambling Competition involving three massive towers of buns.
Piu Sik Parade (2-4pm, 25 May 2015)
The highlight of the festival is the Piu Sik (Floating Colours) Parade. A reenactment of the ceremonial parade held to drive away a plague a century ago sees young children, dressed in the guises of traditional deities and modern celebrities, balance on poles and accompanied by gongs and lion dancers, appearing to float above the crowds in a carnival-like procession.
Bun Scrambling Competition (11:30pm 25 May – 12:30am 26 May, 2015)
Opposite the Pak Tai Temple, competitors stand poised at the bottom of an enormous bamboo tower studded with imitation buns. On the signal, they scramble up it and try to collect as many “lucky buns” as possible. The higher the buns, the more points they are worth.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival
Date: 25 May, 2015
Venue: Cheung Chau
