Hong Kong’s iconic bun festival drew throngs of revellers to the outlying island of Cheung Chau to celebrate a century-old tradition rooted in prayers for peace and blessings. Residents and tourists braved the heat to watch children in costumes take part in a parade called Piu Sik, which translates as “floating colours”. Children dressed as legendary deities, historic characters, or local politicians were carried on stands above the crowds, moving through the island’s narrow lanes.
The festival highlight is the “bun-scrambling” competition around midnight, where participants climb a tower covered with plastic buns.
They have to collect buns, which carry different scores depending on their locations, within a time limit. The one who earns the highest total score wins. The participant who gets the greatest number of buns in the time allotted receives the “Full Pockets of Lucky Buns” award.
The race was suspended for decades after the Bun Towers collapsed in 1978, injuring dozens of people. The tradition resumed in 2005.
According to Hong Kong’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, legends say Cheung Chau was once devastated by a plague. Residents invited monks and Taoist priests to set up a sacrificial altar near a temple to pray to deities.
They also paraded deity statues along village lanes. After the ritual, the plague ceased. Cheung Chau residents have since been organising the event, also known as the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, to dispel disaster and pray for blessings for peace and safety.
The festival has become one of the most popular events for tourists in Hong Kong in recent years. Many people like to buy steamed buns carrying the Chinese characters for “peace” and “safety”, or souvenirs modelled on the buns.