AT THE TAI O WATER PARADE
The Dragon Boat Water Parade of Tai O is an annual highlight of the Tuen Ng Festival; a century-old religious ritual aimed at pacifying the water ghosts and making Tai O a safe place to live. In the early morning of June 22, deity statues from four local temples were put on sacred sampans and towed by dragon boat in a parade through the Tai O waterways. Villagers burnt paper offerings and sprinkled the water with “auspicious” joss paper as the deities passed by. After the parade, local fishermen held a friendly dragon boat race.
[PHOTOS BY Beatrix Malan – www.astcollective.com.]
THE HONG KONG LOTUS FESTIVAL
Po Lin Monastery at Ngong Ping hosted the Hong Kong Lotus Festival from June 23 to July 2 with 400 varieties, and over 4,000 pots of lotuses and water lilies. There were also various activities on offer, such as a flower arrangement workshop, a painting competition for children and lectures on Chinese philosophy.
[PHOTOS BY Beatrix Malan – www.astcollective.com.]
