HKTB’s “Hong Kong Cultural Beat” Highlights Traditional Festivals

Spellbinding Drone Show Kick-Starts Celebration of City’s Festivities Certified as Intangible Cultural Heritage 

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched a new seasonal thematic promotion “Hong Kong Cultural Beat” to showcase the city’s unique traditional festivals and cultural events for visitors and locals alike. A spectacular drone show marked the beginning of the promotion on 1 May. Themed around Hong Kong’s internationally renowned intangible cultural heritage festivals – the Tin Hau Festival, the Tam Kung Festival, and the iconic Cheung Chau Bun Festival, the 12-minute show featured a fleet of 1,000 drones, creating mesmerising images that captured the essence of the festivals, drawing enthusiastic crowds of locals and visitors to the Victoria Harbour waterfront. 

Cheung Chau Bun Festival
Lucky Bun (Ping On Bun) The drones transformed into a red stamp, printing the Chinese characters for peace onto festive buns. This message reflects people’s desires through the ages for safe journeys and peace.	Bun Scrambling Competition Bun scrambling is a world-famous element of the annual Cheung Chau Da Jiu Festival. The drone display recreated the thrilling scene of competitors clambering up a bun tower to grab buns to score points for the competition, recreating a stunning example of Hong Kong’s dynamic intangible cultural heritage.
Piu Sik Parade The Piu Sik or the parade during the Festival, inspired by a mixture of current affairs and folk stories, is an unmissable highlight of the Cheung Chau Da Jiu Festival. The drones recreated a sea of flags to mirror the scenes at the extravagant annual parade. Young performers, affectionately known as hovering kids, captivated the audience as they brought to life the characters of Nezha and the General from traditional folk stories, evoking the parade’s distinctive charm and artistry.

The show incorporated original musical compositions that harmonised eastern and western influences, with a mixture of electronic music and traditional drums. A standout moment was the adaptation of the renowned tune The General’s Command, which captured the drama of the bun scrambling contest. The music then slowed to a rousing finale, conveying blessings and warm wishes to the spellbound crowds. 

“Hong Kong Cultural Beat” one-stop travel information platform 

To help visitors and locals plan their itineraries and experience Hong Kong’s unparalleled cultural charm, HKTB has set up a dedicated page for “Hong Kong Cultural Beat” (https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/what-s-new/events/cultural-beat.html) on its one-stop travel information platform DiscoverHongKong.com, featuring a host of different exciting events. The webpage offers practical travel guides, including tips on Buddha Bathing, an entertainment guide to Cheung Chau, and a curated list of cultural tours and workshops to help locals and visitors immerse themselves in Hong Kong’s rich heritage. 

HKTB will share in-depth tips on each event with event-specific tips and guides. HKTB has also invited KOLs to Hong Kong to experience the festivals, culture, and exuberant ambience, and share their experience of the city’s vitality and heritage with a worldwide audience.