Cheung Chau's bun scramble may have been revived, but its main ingredient will no longer be edible. Hailing what they called a new era, organisers of the island's bun festival yesterday announced they would be using plastic buns - because they would look nicer and create less mess.
'The decision has been made out of aesthetic and environmental concerns,' said Islands District Council chairman Daniel Lam Wai-keung. The buns would look and weigh exactly the same as the real thing, he said.
Mr Lam said the move was the result of brainstorming by the council and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Having plastic buns would mean the bun towers would not become ugly and messy when competitors climbed them in a race to grab the topmost buns, he said.
'The cost will be the same as making real buns. We didn't do it to save money,' he said. 'The buns look ugly after the climb. In future the tower will look nice, even after the contest.'
Between 8,000 and 10,000 plastic buns will be made. As long as they were in good condition they might be reused, Mr Lam said.
The real thing will still be used for the smaller bun towers used for worship during the festival, to be held between May 12 and 25.