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Hong Kong’s Cheung Chau bun festival 2017: Sweet buns, parade and more
Buns are stamped with Chinese characters which read 'Peace Safe' during the annual Cheung Chau bun festival in Hong Kong. Tens of thousands gathered in Hong Kong for one of its most colourful festivals, a whirlwind of music and costume culminating in a dramatic climb up a precipitous "bun tower". (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
Updated on: May 4, 2017 8:06 PM IST
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Buns are stamped with Chinese characters which read 'Peace Safe' during the annual Cheung Chau bun festival in Hong Kong. Tens of thousands gathered in Hong Kong for one of its most colourful festivals, a whirlwind of music and costume culminating in a dramatic climb up a precipitous "bun tower". (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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A traditional bun baker holds a stamp which reads (Peace Safe), used to mark buns made during the annual Cheung Chau bun festival in Hong Kong. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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A young girl (C) dressed as a deity takes part in a parade. Young children in intricate outfits -- posing as deities, local sporting heroes and even politicians gave the impression of floating above the crowds as they were wheeled around on high pedestals. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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A devotee lights joss sticks in a temple. Pipers, drummers and lion dancers accompanied by a cacophony of cymbals filled the streets of the normally sleepy island of Cheung Chau, as part of the annual “bun festival” parade. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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Along the parade route shoppers bought bags of the sweet buns at the heart of the celebrations. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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A devotee prays with joss sticks in a temple. A late-night scramble by agile competitors up an 18-metre (60-foot) tower made from imitation buns was scheduled to top off the festivities. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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The whole event harks back to the 19th century, when Cheung Chau was struggling to combat a plague and pirate raids. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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The story goes that local fishermen paraded a statue of Taoist sea deity Pak Tai as part of a carnival to drive away the plague and evil spirits. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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A young girl (C) dressed as chief executive-elect Carrie Lam prepares to take part in a parade. The festivities today revolve around Cheung Chau’s Pak Tai temple and attract visitors from all over Hong Kong and abroad. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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Real buns are no longer used to create the bun tower. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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Instead, plastic buns lined a steel frame as part of safety measures brought in after an old-style structure -- made from bamboo and real buns -- collapsed in 1978 and caused injuries. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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A young girl dressed as a deity prepares to take part in a parade. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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But competitors each year still scale heady heights, stuffing buns into sacks they are carrying as they climb. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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Performers take part in a parade during the annual Cheung Chau bun festival in Hong Kong on May 3, 2017. Tens of thousands gathered in Hong Kong on May 3 for one of its most colourful festivals, a whirlwind of music and costume culminating in a dramatic climb up a precipitous "bun tower". / AFP PHOTO / Anthony WALLACE (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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A devotee places his joss stick in an urn at a temple during the annual Cheung Chau bun festival. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
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A boy in traditional Chinese costume reacts to heat during the Bun Festival parade. (Bobby Yip/REUTERS)
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A girl standing above the crowd with the support of an elaborate rig of hidden metal rods. Buns from the top of the tower carry the most points and the highest scorer is the winner. (Bobby Yip/REUTERS)
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A boy depicts Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying during the Bun Festival parade. (Bobby Yip/REUTERS)
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Local residents dress a statue of a Chinese god on the outlying Cheung Chau island in Hong Kong to celebrate the Bun Festival. The festival is held every year to placate the spirits of people killed by pirates. (Vincent Yu/AP)
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