Celebrate the Cheung Chau Festival in Hong Kong – Cultural, colourful and fun

Chong Fat, HK CheungChauBunFestival 2010, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Cheung Chau Festival is a celebration that is colourful and rich in Chinese culture and folklore. The festival is in honour of God Pak Tai, who is said to have driven away evil spirits and a deadly epidemic that was spreading throughout the land. The festival takes place on the Buddha’s birthday every year. the proceeding includes, religious offerings, dances, parades and a bun scrambling contest on the last day of a week-long celebration.

If you are based in a place such as Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong, the well-known hotel in Causeway Bay Hong Kong perhaps, drop by Pak Tai Temple which is one of the oldest in China to witness and take part in the festivities. Most of the cultural activities take place here. Beautiful parades march about in the area with lion dances and representatives from schools and martial arts organizations. Children are dressed up as ancient Chinese royalty and people dress in costumes that resemble Gods and walk around the streets to scare off evil spirits.