Cultural Celebrations

An Intense Dose of Culture

Among the matrix of skyscrapers and ultramodern infrastructure of Hong Kong, you can still find centuries-old traditions which have been preserved and continue to be piously observed. The Cheung Chau Bun Festival, for example, is believed to date back to the 18th century, and today continues to attract flocks of foreign visitors to the tiny island of Cheung Chau each year, with its colourful and somewhat mythical piu sik parade and gravity-defying bun scrambling competition.

In addition to the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, which was added to China’s third national list of intangible cultural heritage and has achieved some international fame, there are a number of other folk festivals embodying Hong Kong’s living culture, such as the celebrations of the birthdays of the Buddha and the deities Tin Hau and Tam Kung. Since these four festivals are all held in springtime, the HKTB packaged them into its “2013 Hong Kong Cultural Celebrations” promotion last year, introducing visitors to precious cultural gems of Hong Kong and making sure they know where to go to take part in these festive activities.