The Cheung Chau Bun Festival, one of Hong Kong’s most iconic intangible cultural heritages, is being celebrated with grandeur on Cheung Chau Island from 4 to 9 May. This tradition, spanning over a century, with its profound Taoist roots and unique folk performances, stands alongside Spain’s La Tomatina and Thailand’s Monkey Banquet, having been named one of the “Top 10 Quirky Festivals” by Time magazine. This year, the festival has once again drawn tens of thousands of local residents and international visitors, cementing its status as a highlight of Hong Kong’s cultural calendar.
Historical and Cultural Roots
The Cheung Chau Bun Festival traces its origins to the late Qing Dynasty when the island was plagued by an epidemic. To pray for safety, residents held Taoist rituals at the Pak Tai Temple, conducted ceremonies to appease restless spirits, and paraded the deity Pak Tai (the Northern Emperor) through the streets. The epidemic subsided, and since then, islanders have held the Bun Festival annually in the fourth lunar month to express gratitude and pray for prosperity. Recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage of China in 2011, the festival reflects the unity and faith of Hong Kong’s diverse communities, including Huiyang, Hailufeng, and Cantonese groups.
The festival’s core activities—bun scrambling, the Piu Sik parade, Cantonese opera, and the distribution of “peace buns”—blend Taoist rituals with community spirit. Time magazine lauded it as “a visual and cultural feast,” specifically highlighting “the vibrant and creative Piu Sik parade and the adrenaline-pumping bun scrambling competition.” These elements resonate with the “courageous absurdity” of the UK’s cheese-rolling festival and the “muddy revelry” of South Korea’s mud festival. During the festival, the entire island observes a vegetarian diet, with even chains like McDonald’s offering meat-free menus, showcasing a fusion of tradition and modernity.
The 2025 Bun Festival in Full Swing
This year’s festival commenced on 4 May, with 5 May (the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, coinciding with Buddha’s Birthday) marking the main ritual day. Festivities continue until 9 May. The island is adorned with decorations, and the Pak Tai Temple is alive with incense and worshippers. Highlights of the 2025 festival include:
- Bun Scrambling Competition: The festival’s climax, held on the night of 5 May at the Cheung Chau football pitch, saw competitors scale a 14-metre tower adorned with some 9,000 peace buns, vying for the top-scoring buns. The event, described by Time as “adrenaline-pumping,” mirrors the intensity of Finland’s wife-carrying race, dubbed a “display of love and strength.” This year’s competition featured men’s and women’s divisions, with free tickets distributed near the Cheung Chau Fire Station, all snapped up quickly.
- Piu Sik Parade: On the afternoon of 5 May, the Piu Sik parade wound through Cheung Chau’s streets. Children, dressed as deities or topical figures, stood atop elevated “floating colour” platforms, accompanied by lion dances, unicorn dances, and drum troupes. The vibrant spectacle, akin to Thailand’s Loy Krathong’s “visual feast,” featured humorous floats this year, such as one satirising current events with the theme “Inflation Frenzy,” earning enthusiastic applause.
- Cultural Promotion and Innovation: Following the launch of Bun Festival-themed postage stamps by Hongkong Post in 2024, this year saw the release of cartoon peace bun keychains and eco-friendly bags, popular among younger visitors, much like the conservation-focused creativity of the US Underwater Music Festival. Organisers introduced QR code guides for real-time information and, for the first time, air-conditioned mobile command posts to combat May’s heat.
- Community Engagement: Organised by the Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee, the events showcased islanders’ unity. Cantonese opera performances outside the Pak Tai Temple drew enthusiasts, while stalls offered lotus paste and taro-flavoured peace buns, symbolising health and safety, echoing the communal harmony of Thailand’s Monkey Banquet.
The World’s Top 10 Quirky Festivals
The Cheung Chau Bun Festival joins other Time-celebrated quirky festivals, each showcasing global cultural diversity:
- Spain’s La Tomatina (August): Tens of thousands hurl 100 tonnes of tomatoes, turning streets into a “joyous chaos.”
- Thailand’s Monkey Banquet (November): 4,000kg of food is offered to macaques, symbolising harmony with nature.
- South Korea’s Boryeong Mud Festival (July-August): Revellers wrestle in mud pools, a “muddy revelry” for all ages.
- UK’s Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling (May): Competitors chase cheese down a steep hill, blending “courage and absurdity.”
- US Florida Underwater Music Festival (July): Divers enjoy underwater concerts, promoting coral reef conservation.
- Italy’s Ivrea Battle of the Oranges (February-March): Orange-throwing reenacts a medieval revolt, a “fruity historical reenactment.”
- Thailand’s Loy Krathong and Yi Peng (November): Floating lanterns and sky lanterns create a “visual and spiritual feast.”
- Finland’s Wife-Carrying Championship (July): Men carry partners through obstacles, a humorous “test of love and strength.”
- Japan’s Hadaka Matsuri (February, Okayama): Thousands of men in loincloths compete for sacred sticks, symbolising purification.
- Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (1-2 November): Colourful skulls and altars honour the deceased in a “vibrant celebration of death.”
Like the Bun Festival, these events convey cultural values through quirky traditions. The festival’s religious rituals and artistic parade contrast with the philosophical vibrancy of Día de los Muertos or the purification rites of Hadaka Matsuri, yet all share a passion for heritage.
Challenges and Outlook
As the Bun Festival gains global fame alongside La Tomatina and Loy Krathong, commercialisation has intensified, with some traditional rituals simplified and local participation waning, similar to La Tomatina’s adoption of ticketing to manage crowds. The Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee vows to engage younger generations in preserving this heritage, balancing tourism with cultural conservation.
Voices from Locals and Visitors
Local resident Ms. Chan shared, “Seeing the Bun Festival ranked with La Tomatina and cheese-rolling makes us so proud as Cheung Chau islanders!” Australian visitor Emma enthused, “The Piu Sik parade is as dazzling as Thailand’s sky lanterns, and the peace buns are delicious—no wonder it’s a top quirky festival!”
The Cheung Chau Bun Festival is more than a religious event; it’s a vibrant reflection of Hong Kong’s cultural diversity. As the 2025 festivities wind down, visitors can still experience this quirky spectacle, on par with La Tomatina and Loy Krathong, from 7 to 9 May. For more details, visit the Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee website (icho.hk) or the Hong Kong Tourism Board website.
