Melon Seed Making Technique

( traditional craftsmanship)

Introduction : Melon seeds are watermelon or pumpkin seeds fried and processed, with the addition of flavouring and colouring compounds. Melon seeds are a popular snack during Lunar New Year.

Benefits of Melon Seeds : Good for people's Heart health, Regulates, blood pressure, Immune system, Antioxidants

Dradon Boat Race

(Festival event)

Dragon boat racing is a festial event that holds every year, many communities in Hong Kong hold dragon boat races. The practice is said to have originated from paying tribute to Qu Yuan, a poet from the Warring States period. In another story of origin, the rowing of dragon boats is said to be a ritual for dispelling bad luck and praying for peace and safety.

Yu Lan Festival (Chiu Chow Tradition)

(Rituals)

In Hong Kong, there are around 1.2 million Chiu Chow natives and they actively promote cultural traditions of Chiu Chow and Shanto.During the annual festival, Chiu Chow diaspora living in Hong Kong organise the month-long Yu Lan Festival, which spans from the beginning to the end of the seventh lunar month. The event has been held for more than 100 years. Its main objective is to carry out ancestral worship ceremonies and perform rituals for wandering ghosts in the netherworld. The activities include burning paper offerings on the street, performing Chiu Chow operas for thanksgiving to the deities, burning effigies of the Ghost King, distributing auspicious rice and auctioning auspicious objects. Yu Lan Festival of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow community was inscribed onto the third national list of ICH in 2011.

Craving Technique

(Traditional Craftsmanship)

Wood carving is a traditional handicraft in Hong Kong and it includes wood carving and statue carving.

Hong Kong's wood carving masters come from China's Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces. In the early days of the wood carving industry, there was a master-apprentice system, but the wood carving skills were mainly passed down among family members. The woodcarving industry was booming from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Most of the finished wood carvings are related to religious sacrifices, such as statues of gods, temple etc. Some old restaurants are very particular about decoration, with wood carvings both inside and outside, and the lobby is even decorated with dragon and phoenix carvings.

Fire Dragon Dance

The Fire Dragon Dance is a captivating and ancient tradition deeply rooted in Chinese culture, symbolizing power, prosperity, and communal unity.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fire dragon dance will be performed at Tai Hang in Causeway Bay and Pok Fu Lam Village. Community members participate in activities such as the crafting, enshrinement, dancing and sending off of the fire dragon. Villagers use straw to craft a dragon and put lit incense sticks all over its body. Nowadays, fire dragon dance is still performed in Tai Hang and Pok Fu Lam Village to pray for peace and safety.

Hong Kong-style Milk Tea Making Technique

(Traditional Craftsmanship)

Hong Kong-style milk tea, commonly referred to as "silk-stocking" milk tea, is a flavorful beverage made from Ceylon black tea combined with evaporated or condensed milk. This drink emerged in the mid-20th century during British colonial rule in Hong Kong, drawing inspiration from British afternoon tea traditions. The distinctive preparation method for this milk tea is recognized by the Hong Kong government as an intangible cultural heritage of the city. Since the 1990s, it has increasingly come to symbolize Hong Kong's identity and culture, with estimates indicating that locals consume an average of 2.5 million cups daily. In light of the mass emigration in the early 2020s, this beloved drink has also made its way to Hong Kong-style restaurants around the world.

Hong Kong's Traditional Flower Cards

Hong Kong's flower cards are a special

kind of cultural artwork. They are not only an important part of Hong Kong's celebrations, but also carry rich historical and cultural connotations. Hong Kong flower archways, also known as "flower archways", originated in the 19th century and are mainly used to celebrate festivals and celebrations. They were originally used by Chinese workers in gold mines and on railway construction sites for decoration and blessing. Over time, flower cards have gradually become a part of Hong Kong culture and are widely used in temple fairs, birthdays of gods, opening ceremonies and other occasions. Hong Kong flower cards are famous for their bright colors and exquisite craftsmanship. Each flower card is made of a bamboo frame and carefully decorated with paper and ribbons. Common patterns on flower cards include dragons and phoenixes, flowers and auspicious characters, which symbolize good luck and blessings. Flower cards are not only decorations, but also cultural symbols. They represent the spirit of community unity and shared celebration.

During the birthdays of deities, the jiao festivals or the Yu Lan Festival, various communities and neighbourhoods of Hong Kong would have a temporary bamboo structure erected at the venue, for the purposes of staging Chinese opera performances as thanksgiving to the deities and for rituals. The makeshift structure is made up of bamboo poles and fir beams, erected as standards and ledgers to form frameworks. Covered with metal sheets, the gigantic "tent" can keep out the sun and the rain. The size of a bamboo theatre is flexible according to needs - it can be as small as to accommodate only a hundred or more, or big enough for thousands. The bamboo theatre building technique is exemplary of the age-old wisdom of Chinese architecture