In a large scale project to promote local traditional festivals
the Gigantic Bun Tower, a solemn Buddha statue and decorative
billboards are featured Thursday at the Central Ferry Piers in Hong
Kong to mark the opening of the Culture and Heritage
Celebration.
Organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Culture and
Heritage Celebration is one of the highlights of Discover Hong Kong
Year. It showcases four traditional festivals including the
birthdays of deities Tin Hau, the Lord Buddha and Tam Kung, the
Cheung Chau Bun Festival and actively promotes local
celebrations.
Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui,
Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Selina Chow and other
guests opened the event at the Central Ferry Piers on Thursday
evening.
Selina Chow said that such ventures were worth promoting
especially to overseas visitors. Other sides of Hong Kong were
being showcased as it was being explained that although it was a
paradise for shopping and dining Hong Kong was also a place with
rich, traditional folk customs.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board has invested around 9 million HK
dollars (about 1.16m U.S. dollars) in the project. Chow said more
than 1 million tourists were expected to participate in the?
activities.
General Manager of Destination Marketing for the Tourism Board,
Lambert Chan, explained the? event was designed to increase
visitors and local residents' interest in traditional festivals and
encourage them to participate in the celebrations.
The Tourism Board also cooperated with local travel agents and
arranged tours for overseas visitors which allowed them to become
involved in the celebrations in various districts of Hong Kong,
said Chan. These included the Cheung Chau and Lantau Island
districts, he said.
A Temple Fair is recreated at the Central Ferry Piers for the
celebration to give visitors an introduction to the festivals as
well as a whole range of other cultural and heritage activities
which are going on.
As a landmark of the Temple Fair a 15-meter tall Bun Tower which
is erected close to the entrance of the Fair. A series of Pai Lau
(traditional decorative billboards) forms grand entrance.
The Fair is divided into three themed areasa--Blessing Zone,
Wishing Zone and Performance Zone. The entrance of the Blessing
Zone features a pair of 6-meter high "Fa Pau" (floral paper
offerings) for celebration of the Tin Hau festival while inside the
Zone there’s a 2.5-meter Buddha statue and bathing stand.
At the Wishing Zone 12 zodiac lanterns are featured and there
are booths for fortune telling and handicrafts. Wishing cards for
visitors are available.
Visitors can enjoy various types of performance including
Cantonese Opera, Chinese dance and Kung Fu demonstrations by
Shaolin junior monks from mainland Henan. ne.
There are booths displaying arts and crafts, the art of Chinese
grasshopper making will be explained, the making of flour dolls
demonstrated and calligraphy displayed. Fortune-tellers and stalls
selling traditional festive snacks will also be part of the
day.
(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2006)