Hong Kong’s colourful Bun Festival returns after Covid-19 cancellations

It was suspended for decades after an accident in 1978 when a collapse injured many, and only restarted in 2005.After Covid-19, the bun scramble has returned, but for this year, it’s limited to one smaller tower. The festival's comeback is a sign that normal life is returning to Hong Kong after its tight pandemic restrictions.

Updated: May 28, 2023 17:04 IST

1 / 9
Hong Kong's colourful Bun Festival is back after three years of Covid-19 restrictions. Visitors packed the tiny island of Cheung Chau to watch children parade in costumes and to eat buns stamped with the Chinese characters for “peace” and “safety.” The festival's highlight is a midnight “bun-scrambling” competition in which climbers race up a tower covered with plastic buns, trying to grab as many as possible.

In this photo, A child reacts as she is hoisted up during the Piu Sik Parade at the Bun Festival in Cheung Chau Island in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

2 / 9
The event, also known as the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, has been celebrated for more than 100 years, according to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

3 / 9
It is said that according to folklore, residents started the rituals and traditions to dispel disaster and pray for blessings after the island was devastated by a plague. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

4 / 9
Police stand guard during the Piu Sik Parade at the Bun Festival in Cheung Chau Island in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

5 / 9
A child is being applied make up prior to participating in Piu Sik Parade at the Bun Festival in Cheung Chau Islandin the Piu Sik Parade at Bun Festival in Cheung Chau Island in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

6 / 9
There were long lines outside shops selling steam buns and stores stocked with bun-themed souvenirs. Kwok Siu-kan, owner of the Kwok Kam Kee Cake Shop, said she hopes the buns will bring people prosperity. "If you eat the buns, you will have even more peace and safety," Kwok said. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)