Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Competition

長洲搶包山比賽

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Sports & AdventurePak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau
DatesDates TBA · Usually MayCheck locally before booking
Duration2 daysListed event span
Crowd-Public scale varies
Best forCompetition, enduranceUnlike the free-for-all bun-snatching of the
LanguageLocal language; English access variesCurrency: HKD
CategorySports & AdventureFestival type
The story

Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Competition in Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau

The Bun Scrambling Competition is the ballot-selected, safety-regulated race up a roughly 14-metre steel bun tower that closes Cheung Chau's annual Bun Festival season. Revived in 2005 after a 1978 bamboo-tower collapse injured over 100 people and prompted a decades-long ban, it now runs as a harnessed, midnight competition capped at 200 entrants chosen through the SmartPLAY ballot.

A tower of steel scaffolding studded with roughly 9,000 plastic buns stands nearly 14 metres tall on the Pak Tai Temple Playground football pitch each May, the stage for the Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Competition, the ballot-selected race that closes the island's annual Bun Festival season.
Your trip starts here
What is special

The part that makes it specific.

01

The place changes

Unlike the free-for-all bun-snatching of the pre-1978 era, today's competition is a strictly timed, harnessed climb: entrants clip into safety lines and race to grab as many plastic buns as possible from marked positions on the tower before time runs out, with buns near the top worth more

02

The mystery stays covered

The requirement that at least six of the 24 semi-finalists and three of the 12 finalists be women marks a deliberate departure from the male-only custom the event descends from

Traditions & symbols

The language of the festival.

What moves first

Living ritual

The race preserves the belief that buns taken from higher on the tower bring greater fortune

Water and renewal

Living ritual

and keeps the midnight timing of the original custom

The sacred route

Living ritual

even though the bamboo towers

The local code

Living ritual

free climbing and unregulated scrambling of the pre-1978 event have been replaced by a steel structure and harnessed

Tradition 5

Living ritual

ballot-based competition

Before you go

Essential information

When to go

Dates TBA · Usually May

Getting around

For route-based days, arrive early and expect normal streets around Pak Tai Temple Playground to work differently.

What to wear

Casual clothing plus a light jacket for the late, often breezy, outdoor evening; comfortable shoes for standing through a long programme.

Safety

At Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Competition, respect barriers, moving equipment and marshal guidance; photos are never worth stepping into active areas.

Where to stay

Choose lodging by the part of Pak Tai Temple Playground you will actually use, not only by the cheapest room.

Tickets/cost

Check official or local sources for ticketed areas, paid stands, and same-year access rules.

Language/currency

HKD

Family friendly

unknown

Interactive map22.21 N, 114.03 EOpen in Google Maps

Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau, Islands, Hong Kong

Nearest airportHKG — Hong Kong
TransportFor route-based days, arrive early and expect normal streets around Pak Tai Temple Playground to work differently.
Stay areaChoose lodging by the part of Pak Tai Temple Playground you will actually use, not only by the cheapest room.

Your Trip Starts Here

External travel services to turn the plan into a trip — each opens in a new tab.

How to get thereRoutes, times and prices to Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau via local transport.Search routesFind a place to stayStays near Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau, close enough for the event-day route.Browse staysFind flightsCompare fares into the nearest practical airport for May.Compare faresFestival gearCasual clothing plus a light jacket for the late, often breezy, outdoor evening; comfortable shoes for standing through a long programme.Shop the kitCheck visa requirementsSee whether you need a visa for Hong Kong and apply online.Check entry rulesTravel insuranceCover for trip hiccups, gear and health on the road.Get covered

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FAQ

Quick answers.

When is Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Competition?

Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Competition is listed for Past edition: 24–25 May 2026. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.

Where does Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Competition take place?

The festival is listed in Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau, Hong Kong. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.

How long should I plan for?

2 days is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.

Is a source linked?

Official source linked. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.

Where exactly is it?

Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau, Islands, Hong Kong

Is it family friendly?

unknown

Sources and editorial review

About this guide

This guide is independently written by Eventisimus using publicly available information, official event and organiser sources where available, local tourism references, and additional editorial research. Eventisimus is not the official organiser of this festival and is not affiliated with it unless explicitly stated.

Festival dates, schedules, ticket conditions, access rules, and local arrangements can change. We aim to present useful and accurate information, but travelers should confirm important details with the official event source before booking transport, accommodation, or tickets.

Found something inaccurate or outdated? Email hello@eventisimus.com with the festival page link and the correction.

Official URLlcsd.gov.hk
Organizer accessAre you the organizer? Claim this listing →
SourceSource link available
Listed datesDates TBA · Usually May
Source statusOfficial source linked
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