Chiu Chow Festival takes over Sai Kung this weekend; transport affected

by Trevor Bailey

chiu chow 2
Photo: Gov HK

On 25 November Sai Kung will explode in a festival of all things Chiu Chow. The police warn public squares and roads will be blocked at times on that day. Get ready for the Sai Kung Chiu Chow Festival 2018.

Expect colourful performances at Man Yee Square, Tin Hau Temple and in the Town Hall.  The District Office enlightens us: The idea, they say, is to “deepen understanding of the unique Chiu Chow and Shantou cultures”.

chiu chow 1
Chiu Chow Ghost Festival performer in Hong Kong Photo: China Daily Asia

Members of the public are advised that the following special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in Sai Kung on 25 November 2018 (Sunday) to facilitate the holding of The Sai Kung Chiu Chow Cultural Festival Parade:

The following road sections will be intermittently closed for about 5-10 minutes in 2 to 3 occasions between 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm:

(a) The section of Po Tung Road southbound between Fuk Man Road and Man Nin Street;
(b) The section of Fuk Man Road north of the Chan Man Street southern junction; and
(c) Chan Man Street.

The following road sections will be intermittently closed for about 10-20 minutes in 2 to 3 occasions between 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm:

(a) Man Nin Street;
(b) Yi Chun Street; and
(c) Nin Chun Street.

chiu chow 3
Photo: Hong Kong Tourist

The following public transport routes will be affected from 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm:

(a) The Kowloon bound journeys of KMB Route 92, NT GMB Routes 1, 1A, 12, and the Tseung Kwan O bound journeys of NWFB Route 792M and NT GMB Route 101M will be diverted via Wai Man Road, Tai Mong Tsai Road and Po Tung Road;

(b) The Sai Kung Town bound journeys of KMB Route 92, NWFB Route 792M, NT GMB Routes 1, 1A, 12 and 101M will be diverted via Po Tung Road, Tai Mong Tsai Road, Wai Man Road and Fuk Man Road. The en-route stops of the above routes at Fuk Man Road outside Sai Kung Police Station will be suspended;

(c) The Sai Kung Country Park bound journeys of KMB Route 94, NT GMB Routes 7, 9, and the Ma On Shan bound journeys of KMB Route 99 will be diverted via Wai Man Road and Tai Mong Tsai Road. The en-route stops of the above routes at Tai Mong Tsai Road near Sha Kok Mei and Muk Min Shan will be suspended;

(d) The Sai Kung Town bound journeys of KMB Routes 94, 99, NT GMB Routes 7 and 9 will be diverted via Wai Man Road and Fuk Man Road. The en-route stops of the above routes at Fuk Man Road outside Sai Kung Police Station, and at Tai Mong Tsai Road near Sha Kok Mei and Muk Min Shan will be suspended;

(e) The Sai Kung East Country Park bound journeys of KMB Route 96R will be diverted via Po Tung Road, Tai Mong Tsai Road, Wai Man Road, Fuk Man Road, Sai Kung Bus Terminus, Wai Man Road and Tai Mong Tsai Road. The en-route stops of the above route at Fuk Man Road outside Sai Kung Police Station, and at Tai Mong Tsai Road near Sha Kok Mei and Muk Min Shan will be suspended;

(f) The terminus of KMB Route 99R at Sai Kung North Public Transport Interchange will be relocated to Sai Kung Bus Terminus. The University Station bound journeys and the Sai Kung bound journeys of the above route will be diverted respectively via Wai Man Road and Tai Mong Tsai Road, and via Wai Man Road and Fuk Man Road respectively; and

(g) The service headways of NT GMB Routes 2, 3, 3A, 4 and 4A will be adjusted to about 20 minutes.

Watch for gaily dressed clowns, fan play, acrobats and folk dancers. No one will be surprised to learn it will be noisy.

A bit of background about these people who run your life far more than you know: Chiu Chows are Han Chinese native to the Chaoshan region of Eastern Guangdong. During the Jin dynasty (265 – 420) they moved to Chaoshan from the central plains of China because of the civil wars.

Here is a list of the great and good (maybe) of Chiu Chow descent in Hong Kong: Li Ka-shing, Albert Yeung, Joseph Lau, Vincent Lo, Lim Por-yen. Chiu Chows quietly run much of the world, e.g. Cambodia’s Hun Sen.

This is an updated version of the story posted on 2 November.

Facebook Comments

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply