Next: 13 to 17 May 2027
Cheung Chau Bun Festival
A Hong Kong island festival with towers of buns, bamboo scaffolds and children floating on stilts.
When is Cheung Chau Bun Festival in 2027?
Cheung Chau Bun Festival 2027 runs from 13 to 17 May 2027. Other years: 2026, 24 to 28 May 2026; 2028, 2 to 6 May 2028.
About Cheung Chau Bun Festival
On the island of Cheung Chau, residents hold the Bun Festival, Taiping Qingjiao, in the days around the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. It is thought to have begun to ease the spirits of the dead after a plague in the 19th century. Three towers of bamboo, about fourteen metres tall, are covered with white buns stamped with the character for peace. Once, competitors raced up the tower to get the highest buns, which were thought luckiest, and since a collapse in 1978 a safer, tamer version of the race is held. A procession features children dressed as legendary figures, who are supported on stilts, and lion dances. For the festival period, islanders eat vegetarian food. The festival is a national intangible heritage.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Cheung Chau Bun Festival date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 24 to 28 May 2026 |
| 2027 | 13 to 17 May 2027 |
| 2028 | 2 to 6 May 2028 |
What is eaten
- peace buns
- vegetarian meals
Also part of it, and being written: Bun scrambling (The tower-climbing contest.), Floating colours (The parade of children raised on supports.), Cheung Chau (The island of the festival.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Cheung Chau Bun Festival" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.