Hong Kong Well Wishing Festival
Wishing Trees, Wishing Lanterns, Messages and Oranges...
another colorful Hong Kong Festival
February 8 - 22, 2016
Hong Kong's Well Wishing Festival is very much a part of the Lunar New Year Celebrations and a long-established tradition.
Locals will attend the Well Wishing festival in Lam Tsuen in the New Territories to wish for good luck for the New Year. It's a great chance for you to get involved in the local colour and flavours of the ongoing festivities.
Lam Tsuen can be easily reached by taking MTR which brings you to the main square where the festivities take place.
So what exactly is the Well-Wishing Festival and what's so special about it to make the trek to the New Territories worthwhile? It is a colorful festival in a way that Hong Kong traditional festivals are, with some unique traditions and events, among others.
-
Well-Wishing at the Wishing Trees
-
Releasing the Wishing Lanterns
-
The Floats from this year's New Year Parade will be on display at the Festival
-
The performing groups from the Parade will also be at the Festival
Well-Wishing at the Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees
Feel free to join in this fun exercise
First write your wish on a paper (traditionally red or gold for good luck), together with your name and date of birth
- Tie it with a string
- Tie an orange on the other end of the string
- Toss them over a strong branch on the wishing tree
- Make sure the message hang firmly on the branch which represent your wish will come true
You will see a lot of the local folks participating in this event. They come to pray for a variety of wishes: a baby, better jobs, spouses for their sons and daughters, good results in school, wealth and prosperity, etc. Along with the message-writing and tossing, there are incense burning, chanting, and overall a very happy and lively atmosphere.
Releasing of the Wishing Lanterns
Releasing Wishing Lanterns is another popular tradition. The water lanterns are released into the Lam Tsuen canal. There are lighting ceremonies throughout the festivities. Walking along the river surrounded by a sea of beautiful lotus lanterns is quite an experience and a beautiful sight at night.
The Well-Wishing Carnival
There's of course the food stalls, game booths and cultural performances.If you missed the Chinese New Year Parade on New Year's Day, you get a second chance here as all the floats will be on display at the Festival.
There will also be performances by the groups who participated in the parade. Troupes from all over the world share their cultural heritage.
So all in all, the Well-Wishing Festival in Lam Tsuen is a great way to spend the day away from the urban hustle and bustle, enjoying some of the local traditions and sampling lots of delicious local snacks.
Lam Tsuen Well-Wishing Festival 2016
The festival typically runs for the first couple of weeks of the Lunar New Year. The cultural performances, folk exhibitions, and food stalls will be held throughout the entire period.
Where? At Lam Tsuen Wishing Square
When? February 8 - 22, 2016
How Much? Most events are free, there is a fee for special banquets and feasts.
This is the official site of the Hong Kong Well-Wishing Festival (site in Chinese). http://www.lamtsuen.com/
|
