HainanWel.com(e)! » 15 апр 2015, 20:55
Festivals and events in Hong Kong
Many people dream to go to Hong Kong and see with your own eyes this city: stroll along the waterfront, up Victoria Peak, overlooking the famous panorama. But Hong Kong - is not only a modern city with skyscrapers and palisade attractions to suit all tastes. The most surprising - this is how the locals follow the tradition, respect and love their culture. You will see this when visited here during one of the traditional holidays or festivals.
Festivities during the Chinese New Year - it is certainly the most important event of the year, but the holiday calendar is not limited to one this holiday in Hong Kong throughout the year are bright holidays. In May and June will be a few festivals that will be of interest to tourists.
In Hong Kong, dates of holidays are tied to the lunar calendar, so familiar to us with respect to the Gregorian they change every year.
In May, the festival held once 3 on important for Hong Kong residents religious holidays.
May 11 in Hong Kong celebrate the birthday of Tin Hau sea goddess - the patron saint of seafarers and fishermen. Life and prosperity of Hong Kong is inextricably linked to the sea, so locals refer to this goddess with special respect and devoted to her more than 70 temples. They flock to Hong Kong people and to ask the mighty goddess of prosperity, good catch and good weather in the coming year. But the most interesting events on this day do not take place in the heart of Hong Kong, and in Sai Kung District: colorful procession goes from junks - traditional Hong Kong boats. They are driven by Hong Kongers gifts to the goddess Tin Hau. They are sent to the main temple Yes Miao (Great Temple) to officially bring gifts to the goddess.
May 25 Hong Kong residents celebrate Buddha's birthday.
According to legend, 9 Dragons brought water to bathe a newborn Buddha, hence the tradition of bathing the Buddha statues in the day of his birth. The most massive manifestation of this tradition can be seen in the monastery By Lin, who is on Lantau Island, next to one of the most famous sights of Hong Kong - a statue of a seated Buddha. Of Hong Kong for this ritual symbolizes the purification of the soul. Another traditional ritual associated with this holiday - the eating of special cookies, which deliberately make bitter, and green cookies can not be called appetizing. But in this ritual there is a hidden meaning: not eating the most delicious cookies symbolizes the way passing through difficulties and hardships, a man discovers his new powers and the ability to appreciate the important things.
Happy Birthday Buddha's birthday coincides another deity, who favors the conquerors of the seas and fishermen - There Kuhn. Main place of celebration - church consecrated in honor of the god who is in Shau Kei Wan. To celebrate the birthday of the god made a colorful parade and lion and dragon dances. By the way, a visit to the temple is also of interest for tourists: it kept the old model of traditional Hong Kong boats - junks and dragon boat.
In May, on the island Chhenchau a festival rolls. This is an unusual sight that Time.com website included in the list of 10 most unusual festivals on the planet deserves the attention of tourists. Prepare for it the locals start to long, because they need to make and decorate the figures of gods papier mache, to build a tower made of bamboo and bake a sufficient number of rolls to cover their tower. During the festival, from 22 to 26 May (2015), the inhabitants of the island carried through the streets of the island statues of deities, parades, perform lion and dragon dances, and the culmination of the holiday becomes a competition in which the winning party, attended by most of the upper rolls.
June 20 in Hong Kong will be held festival, which is among the three most spectacular - is the Dragon Boat Festival.
On this day, citizens remember the Chinese poet, scholar and wise statesman Chiu Yuan. This man lived in the III century BC and was doing everything possible to bring wealth and prosperity to China, but the emperor virtually no attention to the proposals that expressed Chiu Yuan. Trying to attract the attention of the emperor, Chiu Yuan committed suicide by drowning in the river Mi Lo. The locals are very respected him, and took their boats, went in search of the body, and to scare away the fish, people began to beat the drums. This historical fact, and formed the basis of the tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival, which annually brings together teams of rowers from around the world.