ENG-2012 — Page 375

Chapter 18

Religion and Custom

Religious freedom is guaranteed under Hong Kong's Basic Law and many religions are practised in Hong Kong, with the followers of Buddhism and Taoism the most

numerous. Traditional Chinese festivals are celebrated along with religious holidays from a variety of faiths.

Traditional Festivals

The Lunar New Year is the most important festival in the Chinese 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. Many people mark Chung Yeung by climbing hills in remembrance of one family's flight up a mountain in ancient times to escape a plague.

Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the main religions practised in Hong Kong, with around one million. followers and over 400 temples, some dating back more than 700 years. The Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island is famous for its giant bronze statue of a seated Tian Tan Buddha (widely known as the 'Big Buddha'). The Chi Lin Nunnery at Diamond Hill in Kowloon is another well- known site, comprising a cluster of temple structures built in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. Both are popular attractions for visitors, especially during weekends and holidays.

Buddhist organisations in Hong Kong have long been involved in social welfare and education, operating nearly 100 primary and secondary schools, elderly homes and centres for children and youth. The leading organisation, and the largest, is the Hong Kong Buddhist Association, founded in 1945. Its mission is to propagate Buddhist teaching and culture and to provide

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