2013-04-17 — /travelprnews.com/ — Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is preparing a wide range of hotel deals to help celebrate the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, one of the most lively and enjoyable celebrations of the year, which this year will be held from May 14-18.
Chinese festivals are known for having deep historical significance, and often celebrate ancestral connections, important events, or protective deities. Despite a name that hints at a focus on food, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival actually manages to celebrate all three of the above qualities at the same time!
The story goes that in the late 1800’s the residents of Cheung Chau Island – a relatively small one near Hong Kong’s southwest maritime border – were beset by a plague that killed a large number of residents. Desperate, they turned to the god Pak Tai to help them, building an altar and holding a parade in his honor. Miraculously, the plague dissipated and the residents were saved, and to this day the same rituals are performed in honor of Pak Tai. Over the years, the weeklong celebration has grown to include the burning of paper effigies, dragon dances and the performance of various Taoist rituals.
The two most famous events of the modern celebration are the Piu Sik (floating colors) parade, and the event for which the festival is named – a mad vertical scramble for buns. The Piu Sik parade is a beautiful thing to behold, wherein children dressed in traditional clothing balance on poles and platforms held above the crowd, which wind their way through the streets accompanied by lion dancers, banging gongs, and plenty of noise.
Visitors might also notice several giant towers outside of the Pak Tai Temple, 18m tall, covered in dumpling-type buns. As night falls on the final day of the festival, crowds gather to watch the competition. On a signal, competitors who are standing at the base of the bun towers jump into action, scrambling up to the top where they frantically grab buns and place them in bags hanging off their backs. The higher the bun, the more it’s worth, and the competitor with the most buns in their bag wins!
The festival is an exuberant celebration of the rich culture, heritage and history of not only the island, but Chinese culture as a whole. This is why Time Magazine put it on its list of the Top 10 Quirky Local Festivals and why it continues to be such an enjoyable and important time to head to Hong Kong. With the Agoda.com hotel deals below, now is the perfect time to plan a trip to see this festival up close and personal!
Early bird special! Book 21 days in advance and enjoy a 20% discount! Expires 31 December 2013.
Early bird special! Book 30 days in advance and enjoy a 22% discount. Expires 31 December 2014.
Hotel Icon, 5*
Early bird special! Book 7 days in advance and enjoy a 20% discount! Expires 30 June 2013.
Sheraton Towers, 5*
Early bird special! Book 14 days in advance for a minimum of 2 nights and enjoy a 14% discount. Expires 30 June 2013.
The Langham Hong Kong Hotel, 5*
Stay a minimum of two nights and enjoy a 20% discount. Expires 10 September 2013.
Rosedale on the Park Hotel, 4*
Early bird special! Book 21 days in advance and enjoy a 30% discount. Expires 11 July 2013.
Early bird special! Book 14 days in advance and enjoy a 25% discount. Expires 30 June 2013.
Gold Coast Hotel, 5*
Stay a minimum of 2 nights and enjoy a 15% discount. Expires 31 December 2013.
Early bird special! Book at least 14 days in advance and enjoy a 25% discount. Expires 30 June 2013.
Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay, 4*
Enjoy a 5% discount on your stay. Expires 30 June 2013.
To connect with Agoda.com for special deals on hotels worldwide, please visit our website at www.agoda.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/agoda or follow us on Google+ at http://plus.google.com/+agoda
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Agoda.com offers wide range of hotel deals for the most lively celebration of the year, Cheung Chau Bun Festival