The annual Bun Carnival is coming soon. The Bun Scrambling Competition, which is the finale of the thrilling event, will be held at the soccer pitch of Pak Tai Temple Playground on Cheung Chau in the night of May 3. Physically fit people aged 18 or above are welcome to take part in the event by submitting applications from tomorrow (February 10) to March 8.

     The Bun Scrambling Competition comprises three stages: training on bun tower climbing, selection of finalists and the final competition.

     The China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union will hold safety training sessions on bun tower climbing and prevention of falls for applicants on April 9. All applicants who have completed the training can enter the finalist selection exercise in the afternoon of April 16.

     The selection contest will be divided into two rounds for the first time to add more excitement to the competition. Twenty-four contestants recording the shortest time in the Preliminary round, including no fewer than six female participants, will be eligible to enter the Semi-final, during which they will compete for the 12 finalist places.

     The 12 finalists, comprising no fewer than three female participants, will be shortlisted in the selection exercise to enter the Bun Scrambling Competition to be held from 11.30pm on May 3 to 12.30am on May 4. Their results in the selection contest will be used for merits if the competition is cancelled due to inclement weather.

     All male and female finalists will compete in the same race during the competition but their results will be ranked separately. They will have to scramble for buns, which carry different scores at different points, on the bun tower within a time limit. The one with the highest total score will be the winner. Moreover, the participant who bags the most buns within the specified time and area will be the prize winner of "Full Pockets of Lucky Buns".

     To make the event more appealing, a Grand Award was introduced with effect from last year under which any male or female athlete who has won the first prize three times in the Bun Scrambling Competition will win the Grand Award and become the "King of kings" or the "Queen of queens" of the competition.

     In addition, local Cheung Chau organisations and athletes from Hong Kong's neighbouring regions are invited to take part in the Bun Scrambling Invitation Relay, which will be held immediately after the individual competition. The three-member teams will compete in the relay and team members will climb the bun tower in sequence to grab designated buns. The team that completes the task in the shortest time will win.

     Prospectuses and enrolment forms for the Bun Scrambling Competition will be available from February 10 at the 18 District Leisure Services Offices of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and at sports centres in Islands District, and from the supporting parties. They can also be obtained from the LCSD website at www.lcsd.gov.hk.

     Completed enrolment forms should be returned by hand or by post to the Islands District Leisure Services Office of the LCSD at Room 622, 6/F, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong, on or before March 8. Applicants may also fax the forms to 2854 3949.

     The maximum number of entrants for the finalist selection is 200. If the applications received exceed the quota, places will be allocated by ballot. Applicants who live, work or study on Cheung Chau will have priority in the ballot.

     Bun scrambling, one of the highlights of the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, is a well-known traditional festive activity in Hong Kong and has been well received by local people and visitors.

     Besides the Bun Scrambling Competition, the 2017 Bun Carnival will also feature a wide array of activities, including the Climbing Carnival and the Student Colouring and Drawing Competitions.

     The colouring competition is organised for kindergarten students in Islands District while the drawing competition is open for the district's primary students. Both competitions aim to promote the tradition of bun scrambling and local customs among youngsters.

     At the Climbing Carnival to be held on April 22, there will be game stalls, handicrafts and variety shows. A Wishing Bun Tower will be set up and winning works of the Student Colouring and Drawing Competitions will be displayed. The China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union will give bun tower climbing demonstrations while festival-goers will have a chance to climb the bun tower. In addition, local tertiary institutions, government departments and commercial and industrial organisations are invited to take part in the relay competition.

     The 2017 Bun Carnival is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee and the LCSD. For enquiries, please contact the Islands District Leisure Services Office of the LCSD on 2852 3220, or visit the LCSD website.

Ends/Thursday, February 9, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:45

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