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Hong Kong's Cheung Chau Bun Festival Draws Thousands for Piu Sik Parade and Midnight Competition

The centuries-old event blends Taoist traditions, cultural tourism, and modern flair, culminating in a bun-scrambling contest tonight.

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A child participates in the "Piu Sik" parade on the island of Cheung Chau during its annual Bun festival in Hong Kong
Thousands of visitors pour on to a small island in Hong Kong for its annual Bun Festival
Tourists from Communist Party-ruled mainland China visited Hong Kong to experience traditional Chinese culture not often seen back home

Overview

  • The annual five-day Bun Festival on Cheung Chau Island celebrates Taoist traditions dating back to the 1800s, originally meant to ward off pirates and plague.
  • Today’s Piu Sik parade featured children dressed as deities, legendary figures, and modern icons, captivating visitors from Hong Kong and abroad.
  • Participants and visitors enjoy Ping On Bao, steamed buns stamped with characters for 'peace' and 'safety,' offered to deities and eaten for good fortune.
  • The midnight bun-scrambling competition, revived in 2005 after a 1978 accident, sees climbers race up a 14-metre tower to collect the highest-value buns.
  • The festival has become a major cultural attraction, drawing thousands of local residents, international tourists, and mainland Chinese visitors seeking traditional culture.