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Ernest Kao

Samuel Chan

Torrential rain meant the famous Cheung Chau bun scramble was called off last night for the first time since it was revived in 2005 – and that wasn’t the only problem the foul weather caused for the island’s annual holiday festival.
Organisers made the decision to cancel at about 11pm, an hour before the scramble was to begin, sending disappointed festival-goers rushing back to their ferries.

The ritual sees competitors scramble up towers to snatch buns. Organisers decided the midnight race would be too treacherous after the Observatory extended a thunderstorm warning issued earlier.
Watch: Cheung Chau residents parade to celebrate Hong Kong's annual Tai Ping Festival

Contestant and former winner Cheung Man-cheung expressed disappointment that organisers could not make alternate arrangements, such as lowering the 15-metre towers or reducing the three-minute time limit. “We came all the way here and have been training for months,” We all just wanted to compete,” he said.

Yung Chi-ming, director of the festival committee, said the decision was necessary but “very unfortunate”. Student King Tse was disappointed after waiting for hours to watch the scramble, which has its roots in a ritual dating to 1894 to appease the spirits of islanders killed in a plague, but said safety came first.
IN PICTURES: Cheung Chau Bun Festival 2015
The letdown came after a sunny day with temperatures of up to 32 degrees Celsius and only one reminder of the weekend’s wet weather – the stench of rotting buns, which could be smelled from 30 metres away.
“Oh, the buns stink!” was how many visitors reacted as they saw white buns on the towers slowly turning brown. The buns would have been replaced by plastic ones for the scramble.

The highlight of the day was, as always, the Piu Sik afternoon parade, in which hot-button issues were fodder for mockery.
In a depiction of controversy over cross-border trading, a girl dressed as a rich mainlander stood above another girl, meant to represent Hongkongers. The girl below received falling yuan banknotes, with infant formula and toothpaste lying next to her.
Chu Mei-yan, from a residents’ group that came up with the idea, said: “My message is that mainlanders and Hongkongers should live in harmony,” said Chu Mei-yan, from the group that had the idea.
Ferry operator New World said 48,000 people had travelled between the island and Central by 9pm.


Cheung Chau bun scramble called off as rain sends disappointed festival-goers rushing for ferries

Organisers decided to call off the activity as it would be too treacherous in tonight’s wet and stormy conditions. Photo: Dickson Lee

A girl takes part in the Piu Sik parade on Cheung Chau. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Rain damaged buns in the three towers. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

A baker prepares buns for the festival. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Workers set up the bun towers. Photo: May Tse

A satirical take on parallel trading at the Piu Sik parade. Photo: Samuel Chan

IN PICTURES: Cheung Chau Bun Festival 2015

A girl gets dressed up as Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor for the Piu Sik parade.

The Piu Sik is part of Cheung Chau's century-old festival - held every year to ward off evil spirits - which draws more than 30,000 revellers to the 2.45 square kilometre island. Photos: K.Y. Cheng

Colourful traditional Chinese costumes are a hallmark of the Piu Sik parade.

Hot, sunny weather welcomed the Piu Sik parade after days of heavy rain.

A girl dressed as a rich mainland Chinese “dama” takes part in the parade in a satirical look at parallel goods trading.

The origins of Piu Sik are unclear, although popular belief has it that the festival, which revolves around the Pak Tai Temple, began in the late 19th century after an outbreak of disease.

Crowds line the route of the Piu Sik parade.

Tens of thousands of Hongkongers and tourists turned out for the Piu Sik parade and bun scrambling competition.

Cheung Chau residents take part in the Piu Sik parade.

Men takes part in traditional Chinese lion dance during the Bun Festival.

Buns are stamped the Chinese characters "Ping An", meaning peaceful and safe, at a bakery in Cheung Chau.

Cancer-causing colourant found in Hong Kong's lucky buns ahead of Cheung Chau festival

A worker at Grand Plaza Cake Shop puts final touches on buns for Cheung Chau festival. Buns from this store were not the ones found to have the affected colourant. Photo: May Tse

Cheung Chau residents won’t get special ferry queue during bun festival attended by thousands

Thousands flock to Cheung Chau during the bun festival. Photo: Felix Wong

News

Hong Kong

Education

Downpours lead to cancellation of famous Cheung Chau scramble … and smelly buns


Torrential rain meant the famous Cheung Chau bun scramble was called off for the first time since it was revived in 2005 – and that wasn’t the only problem the foul weather caused for the island’s annual holiday festival.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Downpours lead to cancellation of famous Cheung Chau scramble … and smelly buns

Downpours lead to cancellation of famous Cheung Chau scramble … and smelly buns