Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong - The Island Famous for Its Annual Bun Festival

It took less than an hour of ferry ride from the ferry terminal in Hong Kong and we arrived at Cheung Chau Island in late afternoon on a hot summer day. Located right in front of the beach, our hotel was the perfect accommodation for our 2 day stay on Cheung Chau Island.

A soon as we unloaded our lugguage, we ventured out to explore the beach and the rest of the island.

Cheung Chau Island has a totally different feel from the bustling Hong Kong city. With a population of around 25,000 people, Cheung Chau is a popular day trip destination for Hong Kong residents.

It was too late for us to go to the beach but we did have some time exploring the local buildings and neighbourhood. It would be a crime not to taste some of the fresh seafood offered by the restaurants on the island. We made use of this opportunity and feasted on the local seafood freshly caught and prepared by the restaurant chefs. We saw a family next to our table enjoying some very special delicious food that looked different from what we got.

We leanred that they chose and bought their own seafood fresh from a local fisherman stall. Paying for a cooking fee charged by the restaurant, the diners were able to have the chef prepared the seafood according to their preferred style of cooking. We should try that next time! We enjoyed our seafood dinner by the sea tremendously as the night scene was spectacular!

The island has a peaceful vibe as it is largely car free, with most transportation being walking or cycling. The island has sandy beaches that are popular for swimming and relaxation. We were strolling on the streets after 10 p.m and there were still people sitting on the beach in the dark singing and enjoying the cooler breezes.

Though Cheung Chau Island has a small populaton, we saw a good size hospital, a library and community centre with decent recreational facilities offering various programs to its residents.

There were quite a number of activities to do on this island. One of them I loved was the crafts and Do It Yourself store. I loved the crafts shops where visitors could wander in to make their own souvenirs such as cards, pottery and love locks which were hanging outside its store and filled a few walls.

We enjoyed our dinner and breakfast at a couple of the seaside restaurants and cafes. Though it was hot, we managed to walk around a bit and admired the colourful buildings and the fishing village scene.

Cheung Chau is Famous for its annual Bun Festival which usually takes place in May when the Buddha's birthday is celebrated. It involves the construction of three bun towers built in the tradional style with bamboo and covered with steamed sticky buns. Young folks would race up - the higher the buns they can snatch, they believe that the greater the good fortune they would garner for the coming year. The locals also host an annual dragon boat race. It is a highly poular sporting event with both locals and visitors alike taking part in it. Too bad that we were there at the wrong time and missed both events.

We stayed in a nice hotel right by the beach and enjoyed our two days on Cheung Chau island. There are over two hundred island in Hong Kong! They are reachable by Hong Kong's frequent punctual ferry services making island hopping easy, safe, accessible and affordable.

We would be doing more island hopping after our great experience in Cheung Chau Island in the next couple of weeks!

RT, Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong, Summer of 2025