ENG-2006 — Page 433

Chapter 18

Religion and Custom

Hong Kong's hectic lifestyle might lead some people to think religion takes a back seat in this city. The opposite is true. Hong Kong people follow a wide range of spiritual beliefs and religious customs. As a Chinese city, Hong Kong's dominant religions are, not surprisingly, Buddhism and Taoism. But other religions are also practised

in churches, mosques, temples and synagogues. Moreover, freedom of religion is enshrined in the Basic Law.

Hong Kong residents enjoy religious freedom under the Basic Law and relevant legislation. Religions practised in

in Hong

Hong Kong

Kong include Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism. Some religious bodies also run schools, and health and welfare facilities.

Traditional Festivals

The Lunar New Year is the most important date in the Chinese festival calendar. It is celebrated during the days of the first new moon of the year, an auspicious time for friends and relatives to visit each other and to exchange gifts while children and unmarried adults receive lai see, or 'lucky' money in red packets.

The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. to honour an ancient Chinese poet, Qu Yuan, who killed himself by jumping into a river rather than compromise his honour. Dragon boat races and the eating of rice. dumplings, wrapped in bamboo leaves, are the highlights of this festival.

For the Mid-Autumn Festival, on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, grown-ups and children gather under the full moon with colourful lanterns and eat mooncakes, a traditional festival delicacy.

The Ching Ming Festival in spring and the Chung Yeung Festival in autumn are marked by visits to ancestral graves. To observe Chung Yeung people climb hills to recall the dramatic story of how a family in ancient time fled to a mountain to escape a plague.

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