The “Cheung Chau Jiao Festival” is organised by the Hong Kong Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee. Since 2012, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has donated funds toward this annual celebration, which is inscribed onto the national list of intangible cultural heritage, so that members of the public can get to know this unique local tradition, while at the same time commit to preserving cultural activities in Hong Kong. The two major must-see events of the “Cheung Chau Jiao Festival” are the Bun Scrambling Competition and the Piu Sik Parade. Come to Cheung Chau this May with your family and friends and join in this richly festive and culturally unique traditional festival. Mark the date!
There is so much to see and do at “The Cheung Chau Jiao Festival”! Each year, tens of thousands of spectators from Hong Kong and overseas join in the fun. The origin of this unique festival began with a devastating plague that hit Cheung Chau during the Qing dynasty. After parading an effigy of their patron deity Pak Tai through the village, the plague ended. Since then, the villagers have kept the tradition alive, erecting three towers covered in “Ping An” buns in front of the Pak Tai Temple each year as offerings. The buns are taken home after the festivities, which are symbols of good health and well-being. From this evolved the exciting Bun Scrambling Competition, which sees athletes scramblings up a 14-metre tower covered with 9,000 buns to see who can grab the most buns within a 3-minute time limit. The higher the buns, the more points they are worth; and the one with the highest points wins!
Another must-see spectacle is the “Piu Sik (Floating Colours) Parade”. Children, proudly dressed up as historic personalities and modern-day celebrities, are carried atop high stands and paraded along the streets to the cheers of the crowd. For lovers of all things traditional, this is one carnival you are not going to want to miss!
