Expert Chan Lam's five decades of skill are pivotal to the Bun Festival's success Each day during the past few weeks, a group of muscular young workmen have clambered like spiders over bamboo structures in front of Pak Tai Temple in Cheung Chau to set the stage for the famous Bun Festival. The sight of an 81-year-old man toiling away amid the strenuous work might look odd, but Chan Lam, the island's authority in the art of bun-tower construction, plays a vital role in the success of the annual festival, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the small island. Mr Chan has been in charge of the construction of three bun towers, up to 16 metres high, every year for almost five decades. But the job was made even harder this year as festival organisers tried to get permission to allow climbers to race to the top of the towers, a tradition which has been banned for 26 years on safety grounds. 'Of course, I want to see the game revived. It will bring much more fun to the festival and attract more tourists,' Mr Chan said. In recent years, he has recruited a team of apprentices - his sons and grandsons - to teach them the art of construction. 'It's a family business now. The good thing is, I can hide in the temple to take a short rest while the young ones keep working on when the sun is too fierce for me,' he said. The Bun Festival, to be held from May 24 to 28, was originally to appease the spirits of people who died in a plague that swept the island in the 19th century. During the climb up the towers, villagers would try to grab the topmost buns, which many believed could cure diseases and bring good luck. But the tradition was banned after more than 100 people were injured when three towers collapsed in 1978 under the weight of too many climbers. Mr Chan's desire to reintroduce the climb after a 26-year ban looks unlikely to be fulfilled, as the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said on Friday it would reject the application for safety reasons. Although disappointed, the 81-year-old insists the towers are safe and hopes the government will change its mind. 'I have taken additional precautionary measures this year. In the old days, the three bun towers only stood on the ground. But this time, they will be firmly secured in holes we have specifically drilled,' Mr Chan said. Stacks of mattresses will also be placed at the base of the towers in case participants fall. 'The towers will not collapse. Besides, the organisers planned to let only about 20 people climb on each of them,' Mr Chan said. Former bun tower climber 58-year-old Chan Ong-hing held a different view. 'The game was exciting but it was also very dangerous,' he said. The islander recalled a terrifying 10 minutes during the 1977 event spent hanging onto the tower by his arms as other climbers dangled from his legs. 'I was trying to reach the top to get the best buns and I had to hang in the air while my legs were being pulled. 'I was so scared and thought against doing it again,' he said.
