Bun king and queen scramble to victory once again at Cheung Chau festival
Kwok Ka‑ming wins the men’s crown for the 11th time while Janet Kung also successfully defends her title
Perennial “bun king” Kwok Ka‑ming captured the men’s crown for the 11th time at Hong Kong’s annual bun-scrambling competition on Cheung Chau, while Janet Kung Tsz‑shan – last year’s women’s champion – also successfully defended her title.
The competition is the highlight of the annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival, which drew more than 18,000 visitors to the outlying island on Sunday, including tourists who travelled there to watch a parade featuring “floating” children dressed in costumes.
Kwok, who is in his mid-forties and a Cheung Chau resident, scored 999 points, while Kung, in her early thirties, beat her two competitors in the women’s division with 760 points.
“This is my 11th championship, and it was really hard to come by. I felt a bit tired after waiting too long [before the competition]. I had a lapse at the start, but luckily I managed to recover and catch up,” Kwok said.
“Bun queen” Kung said: “I’m really glad because this has been the most competitive year. And this is my third victory in a row, which makes it even sweeter.”
The popular competition features a 14-metre tower covered with 9,000 plastic buns. Competitors climb the structure to grab buns and score points, with those higher up the tower worth more points. Participants must return to the ground within three minutes.