Cheung Chau Bun Festival

Have you ever wondered how people dealt with the pandemic over 100 years ago? In 1894, a plague broke out in Hong Kong and its outlying islands resulting in many deaths. Everyone on Cheung Chau Island panicked. In an effort to calm the islanders, tribal chief Chu Fook invited a group of Taoist priests to perform rituals and seek guidance from the Pak Tai (a deity of Taoism). After the ceremony, Pak Tai "instructed" the priests to perform three tasks: a citywide parade to cleanse the streets, use buns as food sacrifices memorializing the dead, and lastly, set up an altar for worship.  

Over time, these traditions grew into a three-day event called Tai Ping Ching Jiu, aka Cheung Chau Bun Festival. The first day was kicked off by a parade. Children dressed up as ancient characters or deities and paraded around in floats while giving blessings. On the second day, monks performed rituals to entertain the dead and ghosts before casting them away. The main event was on the third day. In front of the Pak Tai Temple, bamboo towers made of thousands of steamed buns were erected as a worship ceremony. When the worship is over, a bun-snatching competition is held in which islanders climb up to grab the highest bun on the tower. They believe it would protect them from the pandemic.

Unfortunately, the bun festival was canceled in 2022 ironically due to COVID. Curator Cat is deeply moved by this Cheung Chau tradition and its display of pride, community, and solidarity. So much so that I made an AR game for everyone to experience this wonderful event!