The Cheung Chau Bun Festival is a living event with the famous scramble for lucky bread ("buns") and the colorful parade. Each year 50 000 people jam the island for the annual bun festival.
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A girl dressed in the traditional Chinese costume floats in the air supported by a rig of hidden
metal rods during Cheung Chau bun festival parade.
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| Cheung Chau bun festival |
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The festivities include the "Piu Sik" Parade with children dressed as the island's
deities and traditional Chinese heroes and scholars.
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| Cheung Chau bun festival |
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The Cheung Chau Bun Festival grand parade is featuring traditional floats, colourful
lions and unicorns, as well as flag dance and Chinese folk dance teams performances.
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| Cheung Chau bun festival |
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The festival involves numerous parades of floats, lion and
unicorn dances and children wearing colourful costumes.
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| Cheung Chau bun festival |
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Huge Festival Paper God banners are displayed. Welcome to visitors to Cheung Chau island!
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| Festival Paper God |
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Cheung Chau islanders believed the buns, filled with lotus seed paste, can cure
disease and bring good luck.
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| Fresh buns |
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Made from steamed dough and stuffed with lotus paste, buns are stamped with a bright pink pattern enclosing two Chinese characters meaning safe and peaceful.
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Cheung Chau's bun scramble have been revived in
year 2005. The ban lasted 27 years and was imposed after a bamboo tower collapsed,
injuring 100 people. Traditionally, competitors tried to grab as many buns as possible. They
would clamber over rivals to get to the topmost ones, which were considered the best.
Traditional characteristics of the bun tower was preserved but it was
made of steel instead of bamboo to make it stronger and safer.
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| Cheung Chau bun festival |
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In year 2007 organisers of the bun festival announced they would be using plastic buns because they would look nicer and create less mess. Hving plastic buns would mean the bun towers would not become ugly and messy when competitors climbed them in a race to grab the topmost buns.
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Some local people are worried that the annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival is losing its
traditional relevance to business interest. Using plastic buns for the traditional climb shall
reduce the cultural heritage event to a mere sport.
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Around 30 000 to 40 000 buns are sold to Cheung Chau islanders and visitors during the festival.
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Built in 1783, Pak Tai is the oldest temple on the island.
The famous Bun Festival is held in front of the temple every year.
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Chinese opera and Taoist rituals are also be performed near Pak Tai Temple.
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Historical relics kept inside are said to be 800 years old.
It is dedicated to Pak Tai, the Taoist "Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven".
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