“It was all down to luck and experience. I did not expect this at all,” said 47-year-old Chung, who added that it was difficult to adjust to a new anti-fall buckle this year and it took a toll on his energy, especially on the way down.

After the night’s contestants finished bagging plastic buns, more than 100 people lined up to eat the edible ones from the traditional bamboo towers, with the tasty treats getting handed out from 9am Saturday.

Yung Chi-ming, chairman of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee, told the Post the number of buns on bamboo towers was in the tens of thousands, while freshly made ones were also given out.

Acknowledging this year’s event had run into several issues before the launch, he said the festival had been a “great success”.

The committee was earlier forced to downsize the three traditional bamboo towers from 45 feet to about 15 feet this year after the event’s long-time contractor pulled out, citing manpower shortages and health problems.

“It took some time for us to pick things up again, but we managed to resolve all the problems we came across,” Yung said, adding he was “confident” the usual bun towers could return next year.

Return of the prodigal bun: 32,000 flock to Hong Kong festival after 3 years

The main event, which started on Friday night, saw 12 contestants – nine men and three women – scrambled up the bun tower as soon as the clock struck midnight, in line with tradition.

Participants scaled the steel tower to snatch plastic buns – each of which carries a score according to its placement – in an attempt to win the different titles that were up for grabs.

On the women’s side, five-time “Bun Queen” Angel Wong Ka-yan took the title once again with 684 points. She also became the first-ever “Queen of Queens” for winning a third time since 2016.

The former climbing athlete said she could now “breathe a sigh of relief” after such an exhilarating race. “There was definitely a lot of pressure because all my opponents were very strong,” she said.

Women finalists of Hong Kong’s bun-scrambling race revel in event’s return

Wong said the trick was to try to relax and not let her nerves affect her.

“I think being stressed makes it more likely for you to get stuck,” she said.

Later on Saturday, Wong revealed she had yet to celebrate the win since she had joined the Hong Kong Obstacle Course Race 2023, which kicked off only hours after the festival at 9.30am.

“I am way too exhausted,” she said.

The two favourites, firefighter and nine-time champion Jason Kwok Ka-ming and 2019 women’s winner Janet Kung Tsz-shan, were both disqualified after they failed to make it down in time when the three-minute race ended.

“I could not make it to the ground in time, so I will work hard next year. I will be back next year,” Kung said.

Kwok, a former “King of Kings”, said he was slow to make it down as his equipment clogged up.

“There was little I could do. But it’s all about participation,” he said.

The champions in the men’s and women’s categories, along with the second and third places, were determined through overall points, while the winner of the “Full Pockets of Lucky Buns” prize was awarded to first-timer Lai Wai-chun who bagged the most pieces with 121 buns.

The “King of Kings” and “Queen of Queens” title, launched in 2016, is given to champions who have won three times.

Excited Hong Kong spectators for first Cheung Chau bun race in 3 years

On Friday night, hundreds queued for the 1,400 tickets that were handed out from 10pm to watch the event on the outlying island, which had been swamped during the day by crowds of visitors for the bun festival, originally a ritual for people to pray for safety from plagues.

First in line for a free ticket was enthusiast Trident Cheung, who took the first ferry from Central to the island at around 7am and made a beeline for the queue.

“I’ve been here for about 15 hours,” he told the Post after he was handed his ticket.

“I think it was worth it to make sure I don’t miss the race happening for the first time in three years.”

Also waiting in line was Yin Tsang, who got there at around 6pm.

Tsang, who used to work at Cheung Chau Fire Station, said he had been watching the competition “pretty much every year” since 2005.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing it again after not being able to for the past several years,” he said, describing the atmosphere as “addictive”.

Student Sally Kwong, a first-time spectator, had been waiting there with friends since 8pm.

“We’ve heard and seen a lot about the competition on television, so we decided to come here to see it for ourselves,” the 18-year-old said. “We have come to wait in line early in case they run out of tickets.”