As family meals go, this is the big one. The traditional “Basin Meal” takes three days to prepare and sees hundreds of indigenous villagers return to Ping Shan, their ancestral home in the New Territories. The gathering, which takes place on every October 1, is financed by the proceeds of renting out village land, which is held in trust for all male descendents. Outsiders are rarely invited.
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10:00am Preparations started 3 days ago. Chef Tang Luen has been up since dawn. |
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Noon Steaming the chicken separately from the other ingredients |
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2:00pm Rolling out the tabletops. Families will take turns to feast until 9pm. |
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3:00pm Stirring it all together on a wood-fired stove at the old kitchen |
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4:00pm Locals take a breather outside the ancestral hall before it all gets hectic. Some can trace their families back 26 generatons. |
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5:30pm Early birds bag themselves a table for the first round of food. |
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6:00pm Basins filled and ready for sharing at the table. |
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6:15pm Villagers queue up to help themselves with rice. |
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6:30pm A little girl sneaks some beer into her bowl at the drinks stand |
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7:00pm Village ladies wash up in the back alley after the first round |
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