Friday, May 05, 2006

Hong Kong: Bun Festival 2006

Foregoing the undoubted pleasures in store at the avoid-the-festivities-party taking place in a little island in the South China Sea's Sui Kwai Wan district, Mister B elected this afternoon to watch the procession pass through the village.

Brill! The procession that is. (I wish I had a digital camera to have recorded the passing moments.) Although it is too early for anyone to have put any photos up at flickr.com, maybe you should look there?

Anyway, lots of colour and lots, and I mean lots, of noise. More than once, the square was filled with two or three lion dance teams with their pennants flying and accompanied by the equally exuberant and rowdy creations of the musicians with their cymbals, drums, cornets and horns. (I wish I had a tape machine to have recorded the different styles of music.)

Amidst all this, the crowning moment was an all-female, cheerleader-type brass band which passed by. Dressed in fetching white uniforms -- decorated with purple plumes -- they marched their way through as they banged on their sidedrums, blew on their trumpets, clarinets, trombones, and one instrument which I have since identified as a sousaphone.

Having the old and the new playing simultaneously side by side turned out to be a wonderful delight.

I am going to watch the Cantonese opera at the temporary bamboo opera house in front of Pak Tai Temple.

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