The annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival kicked off its centerpiece events on the 24th of May. The colorful procession and the late-night bun scrambling competition took place on the same day. By noon, the number of people flocking to Cheung Chau had exceeded ten thousand, leading to over 60% increase in ferry services to accommodate the crowd. This year’s colorful procession focused on current social issues, including satire on large-scale maintenance projects, high oil prices, and public transportation fare hikes, attracting a large number of citizens and tourists to line the streets under the scorching sun.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival is one of Hong Kong’s most iconic traditional folk festivals, reaching its peak on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month (Buddha’s Birthday) each year. During the festival, a series of fascinating traditional and cultural activities are held on the island, including the colorful parade, bun scrambling competition, and prayer for peace with lucky bun offerings.
At about 1:30 pm on the 24th, after the Bun Festival parade ceremony in Feng Shui Street, the procession officially started from North Emperor Temple Playground. Many of this year’s colorful procession teams took inspiration from hot topics. For example, the Emerging Street Residents Association presented a theme called “Large-Scale Acquisition,” where 4-and-a-half-year-old “Color Core” Zihan played the role of Security Bureau Chief Deng Bingqiang. The team emphasized the importance of thorough inspection during building maintenance to prevent bid-rigging. The team leader, Leung Siu Cheung, mentioned that with the recent government crackdown on bid-rigging, they wanted to convey a positive message to eradicate illegal practices.
Furthermore, addressing the soaring international oil prices, another team designed a theme called “Unreachable Heights,” with child actors portraying “Middle Eastern Oil Tycoon” and “Gas Attendant” to reflect the public’s hardships. The parade also featured roles of scam artists, lawyers, and various Hong Kong athletes such as sports stars Ho Siu Pui and Yip Hung Fai, showcasing the diversity of local culture.
Although the birth rate on Cheung Chau has been declining in recent years, with many child actors being recruited from off the island, some parents expressed that participating in traditional cultural activities allows children to gain a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s customs and traditions.
Visitors from Mainland China and Canada also praised Hong Kong’s local culture and found the performances of the child actors in the colorful parade outstanding.
The festival activities boosted the economy on the island. Long-established bakery “Kwok Kam Kee” saw long lines forming outside early in the morning, with second-generation heir Kwok Yut Nim expecting to sell around 60,000 lucky buns this year, similar to previous years. To cater to the younger market, the bakery hired more staff and introduced “Filling Dolls” and online sales to meet the challenges brought by increased northern consumer demand. Another longtime store, “Wing Kar Bakery,” introduced new flavors like taro and black sesame in hopes of attracting more tourists.
Weather-wise, the temperature in Hong Kong soared to 29 to 32 degrees Celsius that day. The hot weather drove up sales of cooling products, with stalls preparing double the usual amount of frozen fruits and herbal teas. Accommodation demand was also high, with hotels in Tung Wan reporting full occupancy rates and prices increasing by as much as 20% compared to regular days.
As the parade came to an end, the other highlight, the Bun Scrambling Competition finals, took place at midnight on Monday (25th) at North Emperor Temple Playground. Finalists included “Ten-time Bun King” Kwok Ka Ming and 2023’s “Bun King” Chung Yuk Chuen, while the women’s division saw competition between Kong Tsz Shan and Wong Ka Yan for the title of Bun Scrambling Queen.