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The 2012 Bun Carnival is coming soon. The Bun Scrambling Competition, which is the finale of the event, will be held on the soccer pitch, Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau, on the night of April 28. Physically fit people aged 18 or above are welcome to take part in the event by submitting applications from tomorrow (February 2) to March 2.
Bun scrambling is one of the highlights of the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival and also a well-known traditional festive event in Hong Kong. In celebration of the successful inscription of the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival onto the Third National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011 and to promote this part of local festive culture, the champion, first runner-up and second runner-up in the men's team event as well as the champion in the women's team event in this year's Bun Scrambling Competition will be awarded trophies named in honour of the inscription.
Prospectuses and enrolment forms for the competition will be available from tomorrow at the 18 District Leisure Services Offices of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), various sports centres in the Islands District, or from supporting organisations. They can also be downloaded from the LCSD website at www.lcsd.gov.hk .
Completed enrolment forms should be returned by hand or post to the Islands District Leisure Services Office of the LCSD at Room 622, 6/F, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong, on or before March 2. Applicants can also fax the completed forms to 2854 3949.
The maximum number of entrants for the Bun Scrambling Competition is 200. If the applications received exceed the quota, places will be allocated by ballot. Priority will be given to applicants who live, work or study on Cheung Chau.
The China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union will provide climbing and safety training sessions for successful applicants on April 8 and 14. Applicants must attend one of the training sessions before participating in the selection of finalists in the afternoon of April 15.
A total of 12 shortlisted participants (comprising nine males and three females) will enter the final competition to be held from 11.30pm on April 28 to about 12.30am on April 29. Competitors have to scramble for the buns, which carry different scores, on the bun tower within a time limit. The competitor with the highest total score will be the winner. Results for the men's and women's teams will be ranked separately.
As in previous years, local organisations on Cheung Chau and athletes from Hong Kong's neighbouring regions will take part in the Bun Scrambling Invitation Relay, to be held immediately after the individual competition, to demonstrate to members of the public their bun tower climbing skills. The teams will compete in the relay and each member will climb the bun tower in sequence to grab designated buns. The winning team will be the one that completes the task in the shortest time. It will also be awarded a trophy named in honour of the successful inscription of the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival onto the Third National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Besides the Bun Scrambling Competition, the 2012 Bun Carnival also features a wide array of activities, including training on bun tower climbing, selection of finalists for the competition, the Climbing Carnival and student colouring and drawing competitions, to be held between April 8 and 29.
The Bun Scrambling Colouring Competition is designed for Islands District kindergarten students while the drawing competition is for the District's primary students, with the aim of promoting the tradition of bun scrambling and local customs among youngsters.
The Climbing Carnival, to be held on April 22 at Pak Tai Temple Playground soccer pitch, Cheung Chau, will feature exhibition booths and game stalls showcasing the theme of the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Visitors can learn more about the past and present of the Bun Scrambling Competition, and also enjoy the fun of playing traditional folk games at the game stalls. The plaque of the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage presented to the Hong Kong Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee by the Mainland in 2011 will also be on display at the venue for public viewing. To further enliven the event, activities ranging from handicrafts and lion dances to variety shows will also be organised. Other highlights on the day will include a Wishing Bun Tower erected at the soccer pitch as well as displays of winning works of the student colouring and drawing competitions.
During the Climbing Carnival, representatives from the China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union will give demonstrations on bun tower climbing techniques. Festival-goers will have the chance to try climbing the bun tower after making on-site applications to join the climbing activity. In addition, local tertiary institutions, government departments, public utilities and commercial and industrial organisations will also be invited to take part in the relay competition.
The 2012 Bun Carnival is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee and the LCSD, with the support of the Cheung Chau Wai Chiu County Association Limited, the Cheung Chau Rural Committee, the Islands District Office and the China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union, and is sponsored by Lukfook Jewellery, A.S. Watson Water and the Islands District Council.
For enquiries on activities in the 2012 Bun Carnival, please contact the Islands District Leisure Services Office of the LCSD at 2852 3220, or visit the department's website at www.lcsd.gov.hk .
Ends/Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:22
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