Cheung Chau Bun Festival

One of the most famous festivals in Hong Kong is the Cheung Chau Bun Festival. Like its name, it involves...buns. Most people believe that it is celebrating the buns, but the reality is that it isn't! I had to look into this festival before I went because it was the very first cultural thing I heard about when I arrived(after Chinese New Year).

It took me a while to find information on this festival, most of its roots has been lost to time, most of the religious aspects are largely forgotten. One origin story that I found was that the bun festival began in the 18th century after Cheung Chau had suffered a period of being pillage of pirates and sickness. An image of the god Pak Tai was brought to the island and subsequently drove away all the evil spirits and pirates. I can't really go into the traditional Chinese gods because I really don't know much about them, but this festival was a fun way to welcome summer! I am in no way disregarding the traditional or religious aspects of this festival, but this is a case of ignorance due to a cultural gap and being largely unable to really bridge this gap.

The Bun Festival itself lasts for several days, with displays of traditional Chinese culture such as the opera and lion dances. Unfortunately, the day I went there was a HUGE thunderstorm over the island. So, not much was going on in the way of activities but I did see part of a processional and a garbage bag covered lion dance. I didn't get to see the bun snatching competition(yes, its a strange thing), it wasn't happening the day I went but the following night at midnight. But I did get to see the famous bun towers outside the Pak Tai Temple, which is where most of the festivities take place.

A note about the buns: Why buns? I have no idea. The belief is that eating one will give you safety and good health. There were two kinds available: Red Bean Paste and Lotus Seed Paste. I tried the Red Bean Paste, which was very sweet and tasted like...well red bean! The bun itself is white with a red character stamped on the outside. Some of my research pulled up that the character stands for "safety" and "health". I hope so, since typhoon season is upon us!

A Yummy Bun!

The most exciting part of the festival, as you guessed it, is the bun snatching competition. This competition is as old as the festival itself, but hasn't been going on for quite some time. The villagers of Cheung Chau would make 60 feet tall towers made of bamboo. Attached to these would be...buns. Trust me, you think it sounds weird, it gets weirder(but in a wonderful way). There would be three of these towers, and young men would climb on to the top for a certain amount of time, trying to collect the "lucky" buns at the top of the tower. I put "lucky" in quotes because the higher the bun, the more fortune it would bring to the snatchers family.

This race was eventually banned in 1978 after a tower collapsed and injured over 100 people. Pak Tai must have been looking out for Cheung Chau's unique tradition because a single tower race was allowed to be built, with safety precautions. Women were also allowed to join the race. In 2007 the buns were replaced with plastic ones, with some backlash from the community as they were concerned that the traditional practices were becoming too commercialized.

Bun Tower

Cheung Chau itself is a beautiful island, and I did take some time to rent a bike and bike around the island. The streets are so narrow, and the forests surrounding the village are amazing. I was disappointed it was so rainy, or I would have explored more. As my friend describes this little town "A place that celebrates buns and the firetrucks are like little cartoons to navigate it!" It was a pretty apt description. Is the bun festival a strange custom? To me, it was. But, I can see the appeal to the Western eye and I will be back to explore the island on an "un-bun day"!