Bun snatching competition returns to Hong Kong after three-year hiatus
After a three-year hiatus, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival is making its long-awaited comeback. The celebrations are scheduled for May 26th. The main event of the festival is the Bun Snatch Contest, in which climbers scale a 60-foot bamboo tower loaded with buns. Starting today, entries for the most buns can be entered.
On Cheung Chau Island, southwest of Hong Kong Island, the Taoist sacrificial ceremony dates back to the 18th century and takes place on Buddha’s birthday, which falls on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month in the Chinese calendar.
Celebrations surrounding the celebration include a parade or floating colors where children dressed as public or historical figures are attached to long bamboo poles and ‘float’ in the air.
Traditionally, simple vegetarian rolls with Chinese characters for “peace” are served on this day. These buns are also the stars of the festival – in the bun snatching competition, trained athletes compete for the buns on the top of the “mountain” with the most points.
One of the most unusual sporting events in the city and region, the Bun Snapping dates back to the festival itself but was suspended for safety reasons after one bun tower collapsed on top of another in 1978, leaving more than 100 participants injured.
Traditionally, villagers in Cheung Chau attended the event to bring good luck and fortune to their loved ones. Anyone who gets hold of a roll at the top of the tower is said to be the lucky one in the coming year.
Although mainly youthful villagers participated in the event, it became a full-fledged sporting competition when the tradition was revived in 2005. Participants were required to abide by safety rules and use climbing equipment and received basic climbing training prior to the event.
For safety reasons, the rules surrounding the event have been further refined, meaning it’s no longer open to anyone hungry for some buns.
As part of the event’s revival, a points system was introduced, which meant that while technically anyone could enter, the competition attracted a crowd of well-trained athletes. Competitors must qualify for one of 12 spots to climb a stainless steel tower with plastic buns hanging from it. This bun tower is made in addition to the three traditional bamboo towers of edible peace buns reserved for ceremonial purposes.
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