Notes » February 2007

Cheung Chau Plastic Festival

The Cheung Chau Bun Festival has been messed with again, and not for the better.

View large image First, the government changed the traditional bamboo tower to an ugly-assed steel derrick. Now it's opted to replace the buns with plastic replicas.

"The cost will be the same as making real buns. We didn't do it to save money ... The buns look ugly after the climb. In future the tower will look nice, even after the contest."

Who cares what the tower looks like after the event? I've never heard anyone complain. This move destroys an important facet of the custom.

Traditionally, competitors tried to grab as many buns as possible and would clamber over rivals to get to the topmost ones, which were considered the best.

Islanders believed the buns, filled with lotus seed paste, could cure disease and bring good luck. Afterwards the buns were distributed to onlookers, who ate them.

Locals and visitors alike have been cheated of the opportunity to participate; they've been reduced to mere spectators. The smiles of those who would have received one of the lucky (and edible) buns are now lost.

What's next: banning mooncake during the Mid-Autumn Festival?

« Idiom of the Week « Archive » Landed Like A Fish »

Friend Finder