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Next came a pageant of the eight immortals, staged by the Po
Leung Kuk. The immortals, skilfully mounted on stilts, were attended by
youngsters carrying the symbols of fishes, crabs and other denizens of the
sea - all purportedly on their way to attend the birthday celebrations
of the Goddess of the West.
The goddess herself figured in the following tableau, presented
by the New Method College. Groups of gorgeously attired maidens swirled
around her, wheeling their glittering fans to elicit bursts of applause
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from the crowds.
The Duke of Edinburgh, evidently intrigued by the dance of the
south lions which figured next on the programme, turned to the Vice-Chairman
of the Organising Committee, Mr. Liu-lit Mo, seated behind him. Mr. Liu
explained aspects of the dance, presented by the Hong Kong Chinese Martial
Arts Association.
Breathtaking acrobatics were featured in the following item,
illustrating the travels of Monk Hsuan Chuang with his faithful disciples,
the Monkey King, the pig Pat Kai and the Monk Hsia. A presentation of the
Pok Oi Hospital, this display elicited loud applause.
The insistent rhythm of gongs, and of sticks beaten together 1
accompanied two very different dances staged by the Chiu Chau Association,
the second of which included the heroes of the famous Chinese novel The
Water Margin'.
The women's Associations based their presentation on a painting
of a phoenix presented by a Ching Dynasty artist in tribute to his empress.
The towering and intricately decorated effigy of a phoenix was the centrepiece
of this display, surrounded by scores of youngsters dressed as lesser birds.
The crowd were delighted when the phoenix beat its mechanical wings in time
to the music.
Lions of