Two weeks after Tin Hau Birthday-Festival, on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (usually falls in beginning or mid May), Hong Kong celebrates three significant occasions; the Birthday of Lord Buddha, the Birthday of Tam Kung and the Cheung Chau bun festival.
Of the three, The most popular for tourists is, by far, the Cheung Chau bun festival.
This traditional Chinese festival takes place on the island of Cheung Chau and draws tens of thousands of both locals and overseas tourists every year.
One of the stories behind this festival goes back to the 18th Century, to a time when the island of Cheung Chau was devastated by a plague and infiltrated by pirates... One day, local fishermen brought an image of the god Pak Tai to the island, hoping it will help them to put an end to the menace... Paraded through the village lanes, the deity drove away evil spirits, with the supports of the villagers, who dressed themselves as different Chinese deities and walked around the island... driving away those evil spirits responsible for the plague.
The festival lasts for seven days and on three of these days the entire island goes vegetarian.
No Chinese festival is complete without lion dances and dragon dances, but the real quirk of this festival is the "parade-in-the-air", where children are dressed as legendary and modern heroes, suspended above the crowds on tips of swords and paper fans, and although they are all well secured with steel frames, they look as if they walk on air...
The centrepiece of the festival takes place at the Pak Tai Temple, where the "Bun Towers" can be seen: These three giant 60-feet bamboo towers covered with buns, actually gave the festival its name. Historically, young men would race up the tower to get hold of the buns; the higher the bun, the better fortune it was supposed to bring to the holder's family. However, during a race in 1978 one of the towers collapsed, injuring more than 100 people. In subsequent years, three designated climbers (one climber to each tower) raced up their respective towers and having cleared the top buns proceeded to strip the towers of their buns as they descended.
In 2005, the "Bun snatching race" made a comeback. This time with extra safety precautions including proper mountain-climbing tools as well as tutorials for participants (who now include women).
During the festival, Chinese operas, lion dances, and religious services also take place on the island.
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The birthday of the Lord Buddha is an official holiday in Hong Kong. Festive celebrations are spread over eight days and visitors can participate in and witness some fascinating rituals. The events take place mostly in Buddhist temples throughout Hong Kong and include prayers and religious rituals as well as charity activities. One of the most fascinating celebrations is held at the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island - visitors can take part in the ritual of bathing the Buddha, or watch some incredible Kung Fu performances by Shaolin monks.
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As already mentioned, the third significant occasion that Hong Kong celebrates on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month of the Chinese calendar is The birthday of Tam Kung. Tam Kung (literally "Lord Tam") is a sea deity, worshiped mainly in Hong Kong and Macau. In Chinese folk legends, he was one of the gods who could forecast the weather.
The main celebration is held at the Tam Kung Temple in Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong Island (not far from MTR-Shau Kei wan) and includes a street parade, as well as Lion & Dragon dances.
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Next in line: The Dragon Boat Festival: Rowing in honour of a Chinese patriotic poet
