Photo Essay: Hong Kong Bun Festival

Hong Kong, May 12, 2008.
Today marks the three-year anniversary of the return of Hong Kong’s once outlawed Bun Festival and tower climb. The unique religious event was banned after an incident in 1978, when three 47-foot towers, constructed of bamboo and edible Chinese buns, toppled and injured hundreds of men attempting to scale the structures. In 2005, the festival made a return to its traditional home on Cheung Chau Island, but under new rules and regulations aimed to make the tower climb less dangerous, yet less exciting in the opinion of some locals.Despite feelings that the ritual would never be the same, over 50,000 people now flock to the small residential island each year for a massive parade, traditional Chinese cuisine, street performance, and ultimately the midnight tower climb.

Ferries and charter boats have deliver spectators and participants to the small island of Cheng Chau over the course of the weekend, such is a typical means of transportation from the main Hong Kong island to it's much more quiet and lesser known sister islands. Many people plan stay on the island for the duration of the holiday, some choosing to camp on the beach or to sleep on boat houses crowding the shore. However, the majority of the crowd usually migrantes from Hong Kong Island Central district the morning of the main festivities, facing long lines but surprisingly short waits to board the ferry, costing just above $2 US for a slow ride, or $5 US for the "fast ferry" to get across the harbor.

At 2:00pm the parade began winding through the narrow streets of Cheng Chau, originating at the massive tower of buns in the center of town. Streets on Cheung Chau are not even wide enough to facilitate automobiles, in fact cars are prohibited, yet police forces have been able to keep today’s massive crowd safely tucked to the sidelines. All along, massive dragons, traditional dancers, music ensembles, and performers dressed as ancient Chinese heroes and characters flood the streets with color and music, and Cheung Chau residents took to their balconies and roof tops for more comfortable viewing. Looking up, I felt as if each building was hosting something like a Bun Festival tailgate party atop each roof and balcony.

This year's festival coordinators were not to go without giving a nod to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as many parade participants carried signs decorated with the five Fuwa Olympic mascots and Olympic rings. With the Olympics quickly approaching, and Hong Kong hosting the Olympic Equestrian events, its no surprise Hong Kong residents have caught the Olympic fever of their mainland neighbors. To see the Olympics represented in this traditional Hong Kong festival is yet another sign of the merging cultures of Hong Kong and mainland China since the 1997 handover from Great Britain. But the pride all citizens seem to have in their homeland is overwhelming, and much of that excitement can also be felt at any Chinese celebration such as the Hong Kong Bun Festival.