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The annual Bun Scrambling Competition will be staged tonight (May 24) at the soccer pitch of Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau with an opening ceremony to be held at 11.30pm and the start of the competition at midnight.
The Bun Scrambling Competition is the finale of the 2007 Bun Carnival, an event to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region jointly organised by the Hong Kong Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
The 14-metre tall bun tower has a diameter of three metres and is studded with about 8,000 buns. With feedback from participants in the past two contests, the organisers believed that genuine buns would be easily spoilt and become slippery in rainy and humid weather. This would endanger the participants and affect their performance. It has been agreed that replica buns will replace genuine buns this year. As in previous years, people can continue to get genuine buns at the basketball courts of Pak Tai Temple Playground after the Bun Festival. The arrangements both ensure the safety of the competition and maintain the tradition.
This year's competition attracted 149 participants. One hundred and three of them received safety training on bun tower climbing and accident prevention provided by the Hong Kong Mountaineering Union on May 12, 13 and 19. After the training, 86 participants took part in the selection competition held on May 19. The 12 participants who climbed the bun tower frame in the shortest time entered the Bun Scrambling Competition to be held at midnight today.
The finalists are Lai Chi-wai, Kwok Ka-ming, Chan Ka-shing, Tam Chung-him, Chu Ka-Wai, Wong Tsz-kiu, Ng Kwink, Wong Yu-him, Cheng Lai-sho, Chung Yuk-chuen, Yip Ting-wai and Cheung Wai-man. Please refer to the attached list for their results in the selection competition.
The bun tower will be divided into three zones studded with buns of different scores. There will be 800 "nine-score" buns (with the words "包山嘉年華Bun Carnival" printed in green on the bottoms) in the highest zone; 2,000 "three-score" buns in the middle zone (with the words "包山嘉年華Bun Carnival" printed in yellow) and 5,200 "one-score" buns in the lower zone (with the words "包山嘉年華Bun Carnival" printed in red). The one who, in three minutes, grabs the buns with the highest total score will be the winner.
The individual race will be followed by a relay competition. For the first time, the organisers have invited teams from places outside Hong Kong to join the competition. Teams from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Macau will take part in the competition. The three teams are Vertex Adventure Team, Shenzhen Mountaineering and Outdoorsports Association and Clube de Escalada Guia Macau. They will compete with teams from Cheung Chau - Petrel Athletic Association, Confederacy of Hong Kong Shanwei Clansmen, Cheung Chau Hoi Luk Fung Culture and Recreation Association, Hong Kong Netting Cultivation and Fisherman Association and Cheung Chau Sai Wan Ma Sing Temple Management Association.
Two members of each team will take turns to grab specified buns at the top of the tower. The team which can get the specified buns within the shortest time will be the winner.
Trophies will be awarded to the winner, the first runner-up and the second runner-up of both competitions. The prizes are sponsored by 3D-GOLD Jewellery. The 12 finalists to the individual competition will be presented with certificates of merit as a token of encouragement.
All participants have to follow the rules stipulated by the organising parties such as no offensive weapon. Participants must climb vertically and are forbidden to climb sideways or climb with the aid of others, by pulling other participants' clothing or safety gear, or by stepping on any parts of other participants' bodies.
Due to limited space, the soccer pitch of Pak Tai Temple Playground will accommodate 1,500 spectators. The venue will be divided into five zones, with one zone designated for invited guests and the other four for the public. The organisers have arranged to open the Cheung Chau Sports Centre, with a screen wall measuring five metres by four metres to broadcast the opening ceremony and the competition live. The sports centre can accommodate about 1,000 spectators.
People who want to watch the competition at the soccer pitch or Cheung Chau Sports Centre should queue up at Pak She First Lane (next to the Cheung Chau Fire Station), following Ping Chong Road. Admission tickets will be distributed at Pak She First Lane starting from 9.45pm. Each person will be given one ticket while supplies last.
The Police and staff of the organisers will be on hand for crowd management. When spectators have got their tickets they should wait in the queue. Admission will start at 10.30pm and people should enter in sequence from Zone 1 to Zone 4 in an orderly manner. Once the soccer pitch is full, the organisers and the Police will direct ticket holders to Cheung Chau Sports Centre.
Some of the replica buns will be distributed to spectators and the rest will be re-used next year. Redemption coupons will be distributed to the public who come to see the competitions. They can redeem a replica bun with the coupon during office hours from May 29 to June 5 at Cheung Chau Sports Centre, Praya Street Sports Centre or the Islands District Leisure Services Office in Central. One coupon is entitled to a replica bun. Special arrangements will be made for people redeeming the replica buns from 9am to noon on June 2 (Saturday) at the Islands District Leisure Services Office in Central.
Meanwhile, TVB Jade, now Business News Channel, 24-hour ATV News Channel, Cable TV News Channel and Live News Channel will broadcast the competition live, allowing people to enjoy the spectacle at home.
Notices will be put up from 6pm today at Central Ferry Pier No. 5, informing people of the schedule of the event. Notice and enquiry counters will be put up at Cheung Chau Pier and the entrance to the Pak Tai Temple Playground.
First Ferry will arrange an additional ordinary ferry trip from Cheung Chau to Central at 1.15am tomorrow (May 25). Extra ferry trips will be arranged when necessary. From about 12.30am to 3am tomorrow, the bus company will operate a special cross harbour bus route 104R, running from Central Ferry Pier No. 5 to Mong Kok, and will re-route the following overnight bus services to operate via the Central Ferry Pier No. 5 for passengers' convenience:
- N8X (from Macau Ferry Terminal, Central to Siu Sai Wan)
- N90 (from Macau Ferry Terminal, Central to South Horizons)
- N182 (from Macau Ferry Terminal, Central to Kwong Yuen, Sha Tin)
- N619 (from Macau Ferry Terminal, Central to Shun Lee, Kwun Tong)
People who wanted to watch the competition in Cheung Chau should co-operate and follow instructions given by the Police and working staff of the organisers. To view this traditional activity, they should be patient in crowded places.
Ends/Thursday, May 24, 2007
Issued at HKT 10:00
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