An experience of Hong Kong's ancient history

CEBU, Philippines —  The summer is a good time to experience Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Tourism Board invites visitors to come and immerse themselves in ancient celebrations that capture “the color and lively spirit of the city.” Hong Kong honors its Chinese past with unique ancient festivals.

One such celebration, which had already taken place last April 27, is the Tin Hau Festival.  A celebration of Tin Hau, the Goddess of the Sea, the eponymous festival lures thousands of people to peaceful Yuen Long every third lunar month. The festivities center around the Shap Pat Heung “fa pau” (floral wreath) parade. Starting at 10am, The procession that started at 10 a.m. filled the streets with extravagant floral wreaths, traditional dancers, and a lively marching band.

Visitors still have a lot to catch up with. There’s still the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, and the birthdays of Buddha and Tam Hung. There’s still a lot to experience – the powerful drums, riveting gongs and technicolor dragon dances to joyous crowds and mountains of Chinese buns. Hong Kong Tourism Board executive director Anthony Lau calls it a celebration of “the culture and heritage that makes Hong Kong such a vibrant city.”

Cheung Chau Bun Festival; May 9 to 13

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 have been celebrating the festival with the vibrant “Piu Sik” (Floating Colours) Parade, papier-mâché effigies, Chinese opera performances, lion dances, and delicious food throughout the week.

For the buns, every year local vendors produce tens of thousands of “ping on bao,” also known as “lucky buns.” Visitors shall mark their calendars for the main event: On May 12 at 11:30 p.m. the mind-boggling Bun Scrambling Competition takes off. Competitors scale a 14-meter-tall bamboo tower covered with 9,000 imitation buns and try to collect as many buns as possible in three minutes!  - Orestes Nuez