Nine men and three women vied to grab as many buns as possible within a three-minute limit, with points awarded according to the height at which the buns were taken. Retrieving a bun from the top of the tower is traditionally believed to bring luck to their family.
Ice climbing athlete Janet Kung and firefighter Kwok Ka-ming were crowned this year’s bun queen and king. It was Kwok’s 11th victory in the competition.
“Winning the championship for the 11th time feels pretty special,” said Kwok. I was feeling a bit tired at the start—maybe because I had been waiting for so long—and I made a small mistake early on. Luckily, I was able to recover and catch up, securing enough 9-point buns to win.”
For more than a century, residents of the outlying island of Cheung Chau have held the festival to ward off disaster and pray for peace and safety. The event returned to full scale in 2023 after being suspended for several years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, coinciding with the local celebration of Buddha’s Birthday. (Reuters)
