Colors of Hong Kong City - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Local people are very sensitive to issues related to education. A person with a prestigious profession is respected by everyone. Teachers are all considered to be wise men. Local people tend to be very conservative. They are not big fans of innovations and keep honoring the customs of their ancestors. Even long-term influence of western culture could not break down the relationship of local people with their religion and culture. They have borrowed the best from the Europeans, at the same time retaining their spiritual values.

Public opinion is very important for the residents of the city. Even people from not rich families always organize posh celebrations, and wedding ceremonies here often look like royal events – getting admiration of others is very important for local people. Hong Kong people are very superstitious, because of the influence of old traditions and customs. They believe in destiny, numerological studies and think that evil spirits can be the cause of harm and unhappiness. You will certainly see religious attributes and charms in nearly each house. They are necessary to attract good luck. Many national amulets have spread to other countries. The "money" tree is, probably, the most striking example.

There are really many interesting festivals, fairs and celebrations during a year in Hong Kong. Thus, February is the time of start of Theatre Festival - a holiday full of vivid premieres, which take place here virtually every day. Fans of painting will like Arts Festival, which also takes place in February. On this holiday many young artists present their works to publics. As a rule, the holiday is completed by an auction, in which anyone can buy the pictures they have liked. Gourmets should not forget to visit a gastronomic festival that usually takes place in March. There are also more unusual celebrations in Hong Kong. Their names speak for themselves – the holiday of splashing water, festival of lanterns, and the enchanting Dragon Boat Festival are also very popular among tourists. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In Hong Kong, bright and spectacular events are held all over the year. The first celebrations that every tourist must see coming to Hong Kong in spring are Tin Hau Festival, Bun Festival and Birthday of Buddha. And we will start from the "tastiest" one - Bun Festival, which lasts for a week at the end of April. This festival is very popular all over the country, and thousands of people arrive in Hong Kong to celebrate and participate. It is a well-known fact that Chinese people respect and commemorate their ancestors, so the Bun Festival also carries the religious roots - its participants try to calm down the souls of people killed by pirates and devastating weather cataclysms. During these days, people pray and the islanders eat only vegetarian food. But the main reason for the sake of which tourists come to the island - are "baked" competitions! During the festival, two tall bamboo towers are erected in front of the Pak Tai temple. These towers are covered with 9000 freshly baked rice buns, which the contestant must collect on his way to the top of the tower. That's the intense struggle! Also, during the Bun Festival, you will enjoy the parades of "giant children" on stilts and the performances of Cantonese opera.

On May 11, all the Hong Kong celebrates the birthday of the sea goddess Tin Hau. The life and prosperity of Hong Kong population are inseparably linked with the power of water, and local residents treat the goddess with special respect. Moreover, they have built and dedicated seventy temples to her, where they can ask Tin Hau for well-being, a rich catch, and good weather in the coming year. But the main events in Saikun, where the colorful installation of Hong Kong boats takes place. On them, the local people take gifts to the goddess Tin Hau. The end of May is the day when all the Hong Kong residents celebrate the Buddha's Birthday. According to the legend, nine dragons brought water to bathe the newborn Buddha, hence the tradition of washing the Buddha statues. For the Hong Kong people, this ritual symbolizes the purification of the soul. Another traditional ritual associated with this holiday is the eating of special cookies. These green cookies were intentionally made bitter, and be honest - not very tasty. But in this ritual possesses a hidden meaning: eating this symbolizes how, passing through difficulties and adversity, a person can open up new forces and the ability to appreciate important things.

Together with Buddha's birthday coincides another birthday of deity - Tam Kun, who favors the sea conquerors and fisherman. The main place of celebration is the Shau Kei Wan temple. The celebration is complemented by a colorful parade and the performances of lion and dragon dances. The summer calendar of holidays opens the most spectacular festival of China - Dragon Boat Festival. On this day, the town people commemorate the Chinese scholar, poet, statesman, and Wiseman - Chiu Yuan. He lived in the III century BC and did his best to make China wealthy and prosperous. But the Emperor almost ignored all the suggestions from Chiu and the poet committed the suicide, drowning in the waters of the Mi Lo River, to attract Emperor's attention. This historical fact formed the basis for the tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival, which annually gathers teams of oarsmen from different countries of the world.

Another holiday which carries ritual traditions is held on October 20 - the Chin Ming Festival. Local people remember their ancestors, visit and clean up their graves, bring offerings and light incense. The tradition of venerating ancestors was established during the Han dynasty when the plague epidemic struck China. During those dark times, many oracles advised people turn to the ancestors for support and protection. Therefore, from this time on the graves of their ancestors the Chinese burn paper notes with wishes, as well as artificial money and mock-ups of those things they would like to purchase in the future.