Cheung Chau Bun Festival

Cheung Chau Bun Festival (包山節) happens on the 8th day of the fourth month on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. I think the festival might actually go on for a few days to accommodate all the people that go to Cheung Chau for the festival. According to Wikipedia, this festival "draws tens of thousands of local and overseas tourists every year". NO LIE. There were SO much people.

I met up with my "CUHK buddy", Louvier, at Central Pier to take a ferry to Cheung Chau (an island).

People, people, people.

Getting closer...

People trying to exit the ferry terminal to go onto the streets

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History of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival (Wikipedia)
"One story of the origin of the festival is that in the 18th century the island of Cheung Chau was destroyed by a plague and infiltrated by pirates until local fishermen brought an image of the god Pak Tai to the island. Paraded through the village lanes, the deity drove away evil spirits. Villagers also disguised themselves as different deities and walked around the island to drive away the evil spirits."

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On this day, there are a number of special activities.

1) Parade of floats (if you've been to a Chinese New Year parade in the US, it's kind of similar to that)

"In addition to traditional lion dances and dragon dances, children dressed as legendary and modern heroes are suspended above the crowd on the tips of swords and paper fans. They form the parade-in-the-air and are all secured within steel frames, though they appear to glide through the air. Parents consider it a great honour for their offspring to be part of the parade.

This fascinating procession is accompanied by the bedlam of musicians loudly beating gongs and drums to scare away evil spirits. It is led by a spectacular image of Pak Tai, the God of Water and Spirit of the North, to whom the island's Temple of the Jade Vacuity is dedicated." - Wikipedia

2) People also worship deities like Kuan Yin, Hung Hsing, and Tin Hau. The only deity know is Kuan Yin, lol.

3) Bun snatching

Bun Mountain/Tower (it's HUGE)

People climbing the bun mountain/tower

I think this happens around midnight. I didn't stay for that... but

"The centrepiece of the festival is at Pak Tai Temple where are the "Bun Mountains" or "Bun Towers"(包山), three giant 60-feet bamboo towers covered with buns. It is those bun-covered towers that give 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; the race was known as "Bun-snatching" (搶包山).[1] 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." - Wikipedia

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Since it's a bun festival, of course... you have to buy buns!

A line to buy buns at a famous bun bakery...

Still in line...

Different kinds of buns

These buns are huge (no pun intended?

After what seemed like a million hours on Cheung Chau, we were finally getting ready to go home...

Locals at home people watching

Other people are trying to go home too though. 

Millions of people actually.

Boat on the ocean.

A man just chillin on his boat.

I finally got onto the boat and enjoyed this beautiful scene on the way back to Central...

:)

Jenn

Hong Kong Island

Central - This is HK's central business district located on Hong Kong Island

There are probably a few places that you will notice if you walk around here.

Central Ferry Pier (you can go to Cheung Chau, Macau, Lamma Island, etc. via ferry here)

You can go to the Victoria Peak via bus or tram in Central

International Commerce Centre (located in West Kowloon)

ICC Holds the World Record for the largest light and sound show on a single building. It's called the ICC Light and Music Show (not to be confused with the Symphony of Lights).

Sky100 is located in the ICC on the 100th floor. It's a "360 degree-degree indoor observation deck that offers views of Hong Kong Island, full view of the Kowloon Peninsula and—weather permitting—the ridges that gave Kowloon its name and Tai Mo Shan in the background. Other sights include Tsing Ma Bridge and the airport." (Wikipedia)

The Ritz Carlton is in the ICC.

Two International Financial Center

IFC Mall (that big bright window to the left is a HUGE Apple store)

Bank of China

This is the HSBC Bank. If you look carefully on the top left corner, you will see cannon like things. These cannons are pointed at the Bank of China because they're supposedly rivals, LOl.

Mid-Levels escalator (longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world)

Mid-Levels escalator (side view)

Directory in Central (right outside The Landmark, I think)

The Landmark - upscale shopping center (major name brands)

You walk this way to go to Lan Kwai Fong (very close to The Landmark)

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Causeway Bay - major (upscale) shopping district in HK

Time Square

Time Square (front view)

Time Square. They will decorate the front during major holidays. I think this was for Chinese New Year?

Escalators leading to the shopping center in Time Square

The shopping center in Time Square... actually a lot of shopping centers look like this. There's always like 5+ levels.

Sogo Department Store (originated from Japan; only other location is in Tsim Sha Tsui)

Hysan Place

5 level Forever 21 (there's one level underground) / This might actually be the only Forever 21 in HK?

Forever 21 (side view)

I actually didn't frequent these places very often because it takes about an hour by MTR to get here from CUHK. You also have to transfer a bunch of times at some of the busiest transfer places possible in HK. T_T

Central is more of a sight-seeing place. I don't think there's too much to do here, except for walking around and finding places to eat.

Causeway Bay is a major shopping district, but there's no need to go all the way here to shop, even if it's for all the name brand things. Tsim Sha Shui (another post) will most likely have all the big stores you're looking for, and it's more convenient to get to if  you're near on the New Territories side of HK.

Jenn