• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to footer

Travel Magazine

Top Travel Destinations in Pictures

  • Travel Advertising
  • Make a Contribution
  • Contact

Experience Hong-Kong’s ancient Chinese past with four unforgettable festivals this spring

April 18, 2019 By Travel Magazine

Steeped in culture and tradition, Hong Kong honours its Chinese past with unique ancient festivals. Coming up this spring, peek into the past with four fascinating festivals: the Tin Hau Festival, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, and the birthdays of Buddha and Tam Kung.

Hong Kong Festival

“The Hong Kong Tourism Board is proud to support the culture and heritage that makes Hong Kong such a vibrant city,” saids Anthony Lau, Executive Director of Hong Kong Tourism Board. “We invite visitors to immerse themselves in these ancient celebrations, which truly capture the colour and lively spirit of the city.”

From powerful drums, riveting gongs and technicolour dragon dances to joyous crowds and mountains of Chinese buns, here are a few of Hong Kong’s unforgettable festivals:

27 April

Tin Hau Festival

A celebration of Tin Hau, the Goddess of the Sea, this eponymous festival lures thousands of people to peaceful Yuen Long every third lunar month. The celebration centres around the Shap Pat Heung fa pau (floral wreath) parade. Starting at 10am, the procession fills the streets with extravagant floral wreaths, traditional dancers, and a lively marching band.

9-13 May

Cheung Chau Bun Festival

Taking place on the charming island of Cheung Chau, the famed Bun Festival was named one of the “Top 10 Quirky Local Festivals” by TIME Magazine, for good reason. As the story goes, the villagers summoned Pak Tai, a powerful deity, to protect them from a devastating plague, and then paraded through the streets to ward off evil spirits.

For more than a century, the villagers had celebrated the festival with the vibrant Piu Sik (Floating Colours) Parade, papier-mâché effigies, Chinese opera performances, lion dances, and delicious food throughout the week.

Where do the buns come in? Every year, local vendors produce tens of thousands of ping on bao, aka “lucky buns”. Be sure to mark your calendar for the main event: On 12 May at 11:30pm, the mind-boggling Bun Scrambling Competition takes off. Competitors scale a 14-metre-tall bamboo tower covered with 9,000 imitation buns and try to collect as many buns as possible in three minutes!

6-12 May

Buddha’s Birthday

The city marks Buddha’s Birthday with a week of carnivals and spiritual experiences. A common ritual is ‘Bathing the Buddha’, where worshippers wash Buddha statues with water to show respect. Then there’s the Celebration Carnival for Buddha’s Birthday in Victoria Park, the Buddhist Birthday Charity Concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum, and various events at Po Lin Monastery, on lush Lantau Island.

12 May

Tam Kung’s Birthday

A sea deity worshipped by fishing communities, Tam Kung is known for his ageless face and ability to forecast the weather. Every fourth lunar month, villagers celebrate the god at the century-old Tam Kung Temple in Shau Kei Wan with traditional lion and dragon dance parade.

For details:
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/events-festivals/chinese-festivals/index.jsp

Filed Under: Travel Guide

Footer

Recent Posts

  • THE ROYAL SONESTA BRAND IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR FRANCHISING
  • What Labor Day Travel Data Tells Us About the State of Travel
  • Travel is a mess all over the world
  • World’s most livable cities
  • Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours Announces Athens Tour Routes
  • Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours Offers Tours of London Landmarks
  • Why do people love cruises?
  • Spain experiencing a heat wave
  • What was it like to be on a cruise ship as Covid-19 was all the rage?
  • Summer is Here: The Raft of the Medusa

Travel Market

Travel technology platform Spotnana raised $41M
There is no straight line between curbing travel and curbing infections
WFH now means working from hotels
‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Can Support the Travel Industry Recovery According to Zip Co
‘A New Day Has Dawned’ As Celebrity Edge Becomes First Cruise Ship To Sail From A U.S. Port In 15 Months
Travel trends that can shape tourism in 2022
Amsterdam tells rowdy tourists to stay away
Indonesia Expects to Welcome International Visitors in July 2021
Portugal will be taken off UK’s “green list” of permitted foreign holiday destinations
Travel slowly returns

Media Partners

  • Travel Marketing
  • Virtual Travel Guide
The rise of street-haunting tourism
Island Princess, a cruise ship of Princess Cruises, arrives at dawn to Haifa Port
Adventures by Disney to Debut Its First-Ever Adriatic Sea Expedition Cruise in 2024
SET-JETTERS, THREE-STAR SUPERSTARS AND FOODIE-MENITIES: EXPEDIA, HOTELS.COM AND VRBO REVEAL 2023 TRAVEL TRENDS
MSC Lirica, the cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises, arrives to Haifa Port
Diamond Princess Sets Sail With a Season of Mexico and Hawaii Sailings From San Diego
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE TO ELIMINATE COVID-19 TESTING, MASKING AND VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS BEGINNING OCT. 4, 2022
High Demand for Luxury Travel Continues Unabated
Things to do in Madrid
Get a Unique Travel Experience with FindGuide
Restaurant MOTA in Nykøbing Sjælland
A local’s guide to Madrid
How to avoid looking like a tourist in France?
A local’s guide to Antwerp, Belgium
The Dyrt Announces the 2022 Best Places To Camp: Top 10 in the U.S.
UK’s best ancient sites
View of Angers and the Maine river
Saint-Émilion, France
Venice is the world’s first city to charge an entry fee
Five Top Tips for Safe Travel This Summer From International SOS

Copyright © 2013 TravelMagazine.org

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT