Chapter 18
Religion and Custom
As a Chinese city, Hong Kong's dominant religions are, unsurprisingly, Buddhism and Taoism but it is also a place where tolerance for the customs and traditions of every religion is ingrained. And, not only are the followers of all faiths made welcome, their freedom to worship openly is enshrined in the Basic Law.
Religious freedom, one of the fundamental rights enjoyed by Hong Kong residents, is protected by the Basic Law and relevant legislation. The wide variety of religions practised in Hong Kong include, among others, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism. Apart from offering religious instruction, the major religious bodies have established schools and health and welfare facilities.
Traditional Festivals
The five major Chinese festivals celebrated each year are occasions for family reunions and feasting. Foremost is the Lunar New Year, celebrated during the days of the first new moon of the year. It is a time when friends and relatives visit each other and exchange gifts while children and unmarried adults receive lai see, or 'lucky' money, presented in red packets.
The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in memory of an ancient Chinese poet, Qu Yuan, who committed suicide by jumping into a river rather than compromise his honour. The festival has developed into an annual event characterised by dragon boat races and the consumption of rice. dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves.
For the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, adults and children gather under the full moon with colourful lanterns which nowadays reflect a variety of objects rather than only the animals of the lunar zodiac and eat mooncakes, a traditional festival delicacy.
The Ching Ming Festival in spring and the Chung Yeung Festival on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month are occasions for visiting ancestral graves. Many people
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