HONG KONG (AP) — Thousands of festival-goers flocked to Cheung Chau, an outer island of Hong Kong’s bustling metropolis, to participate in the famous bun celebration that honors a hundred-year-old custom based on seeking peace and divine favor.
Visitors and locals endured sweltering temperatures to observe youngsters in elaborate outfits participating in the “Piu Sik” procession, meaning “floating colors.” Young participants, portraying mythical gods, historical figures, or community leaders, were elevated on platforms above the spectators as they traveled through the island’s tight pathways.
The main attraction occurs at midnight with the “bun-scrambling” contest, where competitors scale a structure laden with plastic buns. Contestants must gather buns within a designated timeframe, with each bun worth varying points based on its position. Victory goes to whoever accumulates the most points, while a separate “Full Pockets of Lucky Buns” prize recognizes the person collecting the most buns overall.
The climbing event was halted for many years following a 1978 incident when bun structures fell down, causing injuries to numerous participants. Officials brought back the custom in 2005.
Hong Kong’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Office explains that local folklore tells of Cheung Chau suffering from a deadly epidemic, prompting villagers to bring in religious leaders to establish a prayer altar beside a temple for divine intervention. Residents also carried religious statues through community streets. Following these ceremonies, the disease ended, leading Cheung Chau inhabitants to continue hosting this event, also called the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, to ward off calamity and seek divine protection and tranquility, according to the office.
This celebration has emerged as among Hong Kong’s most sought-after tourist experiences in recent times. Visitors frequently purchase steamed buns marked with Chinese symbols meaning “peace” and “safety” along with festival-themed keepsakes.
