The story
Birthday of Buddha Celebrations Hong Kong in Buddhist temples citywide
A citywide public holiday in Hong Kong marking the birth of the Buddha on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, centered on temple bathing-of-the-Buddha ceremonies at sites including Po Lin Monastery, Chi Lin Nunnery and the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Shatin, drawing large crowds of believers each year.
Water poured over small statues of the infant Buddha, one hand pointing to the sky and the other to the earth, is the central ritual of Buddha's Birthday celebrations at temples across Hong Kong, observed on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month and marked as a public holiday since 1999, making it the only traditional Chinese religious observance with that status in the city.