Hong Kong Festivals

Fireworks, festive feasting, lion and dragon dancers, incense smoke, parades and the works! Hong Kong's major traditional festivals are colorful, noisy and have casts of thousands. This unique culture of East-meets-West is brought to life through the festivities. We have all seen the Chinese dragons depicted in parades on film, if not in person. Hong Kong has festivals all during the year... so most travelers to Hong Kong will be privy to at least one parade and/or festival no matter time of year Artist Preparing Banners For The Chinese New Years Celebration

Artist Preparing Banners For The Chinese New Years Celebration

they visit.

Chinese New Year and the Spring Lantern Festival

Being maybe the most important and highly publicized is the Chinese New Year, which marks the beginning of the new lunar calendar. The city comes to life with colorful lights, huge flower markets, waterfront parades, a spectacular fireworks display and action-packed Chinese New Year's horse-racing. Pilgrimages head to the Sik Sik Wong Tai Sin Temple and Che Kung Temple to check out one's fortunes for the coming year. On the 15th day, the Spring Lantern Festival - Chinese Valentine's Day - marks the ned of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Based on an old Chinese tradition, flower markets, restaurants, homes and parks are filled with colorful lanterns in traditional designs. Single men and women gather to play matchmaking games with the lanterns, to determine who will Annual Dragon Boat Race Showing The Coxswains

Annual Dragon Boat Race Showing The Coxswains

be their lover. a special evening celebration is held in Ko Shan Road park in Kowloon, organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Birthday Celebrations of Confucius and Tin Hau

On the eighth moon of the 27th day of September, Confucius's Birthday is celebrated in Hong Kong. Confucius was one of China's most influential philosophers who stressed self-enlightenment through the five virtues of charity... justice, propriety, wisdom and loyalty.

The Birthday of Tin Hau marks the birthday of Taoist Queen of Heaven... also the Goddess of the Sea and Patron Saint of Seafarers. Fishing boats decorated with colorful flags and banners sail to their local Tin Hau temple, while on the Island Chinese Operas feature dancing lions and parades go on.

Lord Buddha's Birthday

On Lord Buddha's birthday, worshippers' flock to temples throughout Hong Festooned Junks at Cheung Chau Island

Kong to bathe statues of the Lord Buddha. Many travel to the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island where the world's largest, seated, outdoor bronze Buddha may be found.

Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival combines a fast-paced sporting spectacular with a traditional festival. The Festival, also known as Tuen Ng Festival, commemorates the death of a popular Chinese national hero, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the Mi Lo River over 2,000 years ago to protest against the corrupt rulers. Legend says that as townspeople attempted to rescue him, they beat drums to scare fish away and threw dumplings into the sea to keep the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body. The highlight of the festival is the fierce dragon boats racing. Teams race the elaborately decorated dragon boats to the beat of heavy drums.