The 2026 Bon Culture Festival is held in Hong Kong to attract foreigners to experience traditional Chinese customs

China News Service, Hong Kong, September 6 (Reporter Dai Xiaolu) The "2026 Bon Cultural Festival" will be held in Victoria Park, Hong Kong from September 4 to 6. Historical exhibitions, folklore experiences, and "orphan snatching competitions" were staged in turn. The diverse activities attracted many foreigners in Hong Kong to come closer to this China's national intangible cultural heritage and understand the connotation behind the traditional ceremony of "carefully pursuing the past and helping orphans and poor people."

On September 4, the "2026 Bon Cultural Festival" hosted by the Hong Kong Chaozhou Federation of Societies kicked off in Victoria Park, Hong Kong. The picture shows people entering the venue. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhang Xiangyi

Miller, a foreigner who has been engaged in cultural exchange work in Hong Kong for a long time, made a special trip to visit this Bon Cultural Festival. Having settled in Hong Kong for many years, it is not uncommon for her to see the Bon Sacrifice installations arranged on the streets every July of the lunar calendar. But for a long time, she did not understand the core of this folk custom.

In the cultural exhibition area, Miller carefully looked at the Chinese and English bilingual introduction display boards. Through clear pictures and texts, she systematically understood that Hong Kong's "Trendy People Bon Festival" was included in the third batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2011. This traditional custom rooted in civil society has become a unique cultural imprint of Hong Kong.

"I only knew that this was a traditional sacrificial ceremony, but today I understand that it is not just about remembering the ancestors." Miller told a reporter from China News Service. "This custom has always conveyed the goodwill of helping the weak and being kind to others. It is very meaningful to combine remembrance and goodwill."

From September 4th to 6th, the "2026 Bon Cultural Festival" was held in Victoria Park, Hong Kong. The picture shows foreigners in Hong Kong experiencing special folk custom projects. Photo by China News Service reporter Dai Xiaolu

In the "Orphan Robbery Competition", Clémence, a Frenchwoman who has been in Hong Kong for several months, felt the vitality of this ancient folk custom.

Under the careful explanation of the on-site volunteers, she gradually understood the meaning of the "Orphan Robbing Competition" - the competition originated from the old folk tradition of giving to orphans and helping the poor. It was originally intended to show sympathy for the helpless and orphans, and to help the poor. Now it has evolved into a folk competition, and it still continues the tradition of mutual help, friendliness, and help for the weak.

Clemence also experienced Gongfu tea, big gongs and drums and other projects on site. In her opinion, Hong Kong’s Bon culture is rooted in the people and passed down from generation to generation, giving this international city a humanistic background.

According to the organizer, the Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Societies, the Bon Cultural Festival has been held for nine consecutive years. The event promotes intangible cultural heritage in a popular and international form. Through bilingual displays, interactive experiences and other methods, the ancient folk customs become a cultural symbol of Hong Kong that Chinese and foreign people can jointly feel and understand. (over)