Hong Kong Events
Festivals, competitions and other interesting happenings.
“Beating the Devil” in Hong Kong
Twice a year, during the White Tiger Festival in March and the Hungry Ghosts Festival in August, practitioners gather in Wan Chai to “Beat the Devil” with their shoes. In most cases the devil is often someone who is bedeviling the petitioner. Bosses and co-workers are particularly popular.
Monday March 6th, hundreds of people of all ages queued up on Canal Road to pay HK$50.00 (US$6.50) to have images or representations of their personal devils pummeled to oblivion with a shoe accompanied by loudly shouted curses and imprecations. According to observers, the crowd is …
Date: March 8th, 2006 |
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Hong Kong’s Annual Flower Show
This surprisingly interesting event is held every year in Victoria Park. I’ve been a couple times and it’s even fascinating for non-gardeners like me. If you are in town or arriving in the next week or so, I suggest dropping by.
Flower Show Poster
This year’s theme is “Enchanting Beauty.” The featured flower is the bright white and red Dianthus. In addition to flowers, the show features potted plants, floral arrangements and landscape displays. There’s lots of stuff for sale. It runs from today, March 3rd through Sunday, March …
Date: March 3rd, 2006 |
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Borrowing Money From a Goddess
Last night, over 2,000 people queued up at the Kwan Yam Temple in Hung Hom to “borrow” money from Kwan Yam, the Goddess of Mercy. On the 26th day of the first lunar month there is an annual ritual in which people pray first and then pay HK$45 (US$5.75) to “borrow” a red note inscribed with an imaginary sum, usually in the millions of dollars. They also receive a head of lettuce and a Lai See (red) envelope full of peanuts, lotus seeds and other nuts symbolizing a prosperous year ahead.
Date: February 23rd, 2006 |
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What Is Flamenco Doing In Hong Kong?
Yesterday afternoon, at the Cultural Center, I witnessed a transcendent performance of Flamenco by Eva Yerbabuena and her troupe of dancers, singers and musicians. I thought I had seen Flamenco before but I was wrong. This was genuine Flamenco: passionate, improvised at times, well-rehearsed at others and most of all exhibiting an indefinable beauty.
Eva Yerbabuena Dancing “Torre de la Villa”
The reason I mention this is to underline a point I’ve been making in previous blogs like The Hong Kong Arts Festival and More To Do Than Ride the Peak Tram. …
Date: March 5th, 2006 |
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Hong Kong Goes Literary
While the stereotype of Hong Kong as a place where people are totally focused on making money continues to thrive, the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival proves the stereotype is not entirely true.
Running from March 6 to March 15, 2006, this festival brings together dozens of authors from around the world including Irish Nobel Prize winning poet, Seamus Heaney, 2005 Booker Prize winner, John Banville, Edgar Allan Poe award winner, Robert Elegant and Fullbright Talking Leaves Literary Award winner, Margaret Read MacDonald.
Date: February 26th, 2006 |
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Firefighters: Start Your Engines
If you are going to be in Hong Kong this week, head for the Tamar site and Victoria Park for the “9th World Firefighters Games and Conference.” 35 nations and 3300 individuals are participating in 60 contests ranging from a marathon to a cook-off. If there is one competition I’m going to make an effort to attend, it’s the one that involves driving a fire engine blindfolded through an obstacle course guided only by the directions of the co-pilot. Think fog and trust.
Whatever they do, it’s got to be more interesting than the Winter Olympics …
Date: February 19th, 2006 |
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