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Cheung Chau Bun Festival, a vibrant celebration

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The enthusiastically celebrated Cheung Chau Bun Festival is one of Hong Kong’s most joyously celebrated festivals. As its name indicates the event is centred in the island of Cheung Chau and many people of the island who work elsewhere return to the island for this celebration. The origin of this occasion is rooted in Taoist tradition and it is considered to be one of the customary Taoist Da Jiu celebrations.

The Bun Festival draws many thousands of tourists from local areas as well as overseas to the island. The event is dated according to the traditional Chinese calendar and usually falls in the early part of May. This date coincides with the celebrations for the birthday of the Buddha. The Bun Festival originated as a ritual performed by the local fisher folk intended to pray to the heavenly powers for protection from seafaring pirates. Today however this religious aspect of the celebrations has for the most part been phased out and instead the fiesta has become a vibrant display of Chinese cultural traditions.

Many interesting customs and observances are associated with this unique event. The festivities extend for an entire week and for three days of this period the whole island practices vegetarianism. Even the local McDonald’s prepares vegetarian burgers at this time.

Numerous dragon dances as well as lion dances are organized, and there are also parades in which young children attired as modern and legendary heroes take to the streets. A number of local deities are venerated in the festivities including Pak Tai, the god of seafarers; Tin Hau, the goddess of the oceans; Hung Hsing, the God of the Southern regions; and Kuan Yin, the deity of mercy.

The focus of the festivities is the Pak Tai shrine, where the well-known mountains of buns are set up. Thousands of buns are used for this custom and in former years a race was organized where young men would rush to grab buns from the mountains of buns. Visitors will be able to witness these colourful traditions.

Selective visitors desiring a quality Hong Kong hotel will be pleased by Cosmopolitan Hotel Hong Kong. This attractive Wan Chai hotel Hong Kong offers provides comfortable interiors and attentive hospitality.

Tin Hau Festival 2014, a vibrant celebration

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Hong Kong is very much a modern cosmopolitan city but its predominantly Chinese heritage means that a number of Chinese festivals are enthusiastically celebrated. Even in this modern age, the people of Hong Kong adhere to ancient customs, celebrating festivals by visiting temples, engaging in or watching lion and dragon dancing, and burning large amounts of incense.

One of the most popular and widely celebrated occasions for the people of this city is the distinctive Tin Hau Festival. Also known as the Birthday of Tin Hau, this festive occasion occurs on the third month’s 23rd day on the lunar calendar; its date on the Western calendar in 2014 is the 22nd April. Tin Hau is in fact the Goddess of the Seas and is also revered as the patron saint of the fisher folk. Since the city has a strong maritime legacy, it is not surprising that its residents celebrate this event with great reverence and devotion.
On this day, locals throng the many temples dedicated to the goddess, which number more than 70. On the day, fishermen traditionally visit the temples to pray to the deity for security, safety, calm weather and productive fishing in the year ahead. Such is the deity’s popularity in Hong Kong that even young people who have never set foot on a fishing trawler visit the temples to honour the goddess.

In certain parts of the city, parades of attractive floral wreaths are held, along with the vibrant lion dances. Musical bands made up of schoolchildren from many local schools join the procession on this festive occasion. Interestingly, the floral wreaths brought by the various participant villages are later raffled; the winner wins all the wreaths and is thought to gain good fortune. In the area of Sai Kung, a colourful procession of elaborately decorated fishing boats winds its steady way to the most ancient Tin Hau shrine in the city. Many thousands of devotees throng this shrine to pay their respects to the venerated deity. With so much to see and enjoy, there is no better time to visit the city.

If you are interested in visiting this cosmopolitan city and desire a Hong Kong hotel to host your time here, there is no better choice than the Cosmopolitan Hotel Hong Kong. This convenient Wan Chai hotel Hong Kong offers provides comfortable accommodations and courteous service.

Dongzhi Festival – arrival of winter

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Referred to as the Winter Solstice Festival, the Donghzi Festival is one the most spectacular events celebrated amidst pomp and pageantry by the Chinese. This year’s festival is scheduled to take place on the 21st of December 2013 and choosing the luxury of a Hong Kong hotel would be a good way of planning your holiday during this time. Cosmopolitan Hotel Hong Kong which is a Wan Chai hotel Hong Kong has to offer would be a good option to consider.

The festival which is believed to have originated from the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony is a classic example of local culture and tradition. Observers in southern China would be able to witness families engaged in the making and eating of tangyuan or which are balls of glutinous rice, an act which symbolises reunion. However dumplings are favoured by those Chinese who live in northern China which is a practice that originated during the times of the Hang Dynasty. Tradition requires people to commune at their respective ancestral temples to offer prayers for the rich harvest and in the hope that the New Year would be more prosperous and joyous. Feast your eyes on the traditions and beliefs of the Chinese during the Dongzhi Festival.

Hong Kong Summer Spectacular: A Summery Extravaganza!

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An administrative district of the People’s Republic of China, the global business hub of Hong Kong celebrates the onset of summer in a sizzling fashion. An annually held event, the 2012 production saw the celebrations take on even greater spirits with shopping promotions, live music and all in all, a truly fun weekend.

Last year, visitors to the Summer Spectacular were treated to a shopping extravaganza like no other with beautiful clothing items being sold at amazingly low prices. To add to the frenzy, a Visa sponsored draw was made with the winner receiving a stunning HK$200,000 and spending credit were given to ten additional shoppers. As if this wasn’t a good enough reason to embark on a great shopping expedition, Visa also rewarded their customers who shopped during the Hong Kong Summer Spectacular with gift vouchers, numerous other promotions and rewards.

Another attraction that took place at this summery extravaganza was the Visa Go Hong Kong Super Shopper. Fondly called ‘The Olympics of Shopping’, by the organisers, this event involved teams competing against one another in attempting to create the best travel and shopping plans in Asia. The result was a tie with both team Mainland China and team Thailand managing to come first place and claim their hefty prize of HK$20, 000 spending credit.

For those who feel that summer is all about live music and good food, the 2012 Summer Pop – Live made a spectacular start to the festival while the Land Kwai Fond Beer & Music Fest was complete with delicious food, live music, performances and a variety of beers from all corners of the globe. Complete with a number of eating and drinking games as well, this Fest was surely one for the ages.

For those who wish to experience this fiesta firsthand, this year, the Hong Kong Summer Spectacular will be held from the 21st June to 31st August and booking your Hong Kong hotel early is recommended. For those searching for a Wan Chai hotel Hong Kong, it is imperative that bookings are made early for, during this time, accommodation becomes difficult to come by. For those who wish to experience summer the way it should be experienced, ensure that you stay at Cosmopolitan Hotel Hong Kong.