It was fun and games on Cheung Chau on Sunday as revellers celebrated the annual Bun Festival by enjoying a colourful parade and tasting festive "peace buns".

Child performers got top billing as they took part in the parade held in the afternoon.

This year's event featured various themes, including ancient stories, current social issues and even television dramas.

Many of the young performers started preparing for the parade since the morning.

With Monday being a public holiday, a parade organiser said more youngsters applied to take part compared with previous years.

A first-time visitor to the Bun Festival on Cheung Chau described the atmosphere as lively and joyful.

He said he would visit again in the future.

A university student studying costume design said she took a ferry as early as 8am so she could attend the parade.

She said she was impressed by a child performer portraying a judge from a television drama.

"There are other Buddha's Birthday celebrations in the city as well, but the vibe here is more exciting and it's more crowded here. What we see and experience in Cheung Chau is different," she said.

"I will bring more friends to the festival next year. It is a very good experience and totally worth going," she added.

A group of 10 visitors from the mainland was impressed by child performers representing Hong Kong athletes, saying it reflected the "Hong Kong spirit".

"The kid dressed up as a swimming champion... demonstrating the 'Hong Kong spirit' of being a champion," one of the visitors said.

The fun-filled day also meant good business for bakery owners and others.

Kwok Yu-tin, a bakery owner, said there were long queues for his "peace buns".

"Sales over the past eight to 10 days were about the same as last year, at 60,000 buns," he said.

Kwok also said he tried to attract younger customers by introducing uniquely designed stuffed bun plush toys this year. His shop also collaborated with an airline to offer themed meals on flights.

The price of his "peace bun" rose slightly this year, from HK$11 to HK$12.

"We hadn't adjusted the price for four or five years, but the underlying costs, labour, rent and ingredients have become more expensive every year. So this year, we have no choice but to raise the price by a dollar," Kwok said.

An elderly man who arrived early from Sheung Shui bought 28 buns.

He said he has been buying the festive treats at the same shop for 21 years.



Edited by Edmond Fong