Tradition...
Who would have guessed it.......despite the urbanesque, hurried lifestyle typical of nowadays Hong Kong, we were more than surprised to encounter a traditional festival.
Smack in the middle of the city, amidst the towering blocks of flats housing thousands of humans, was an event taking place, bringing everybody back to an era long gone.
The event in question was the birthday celebration of an emperor turned deity....especially revered by the Teow Chew community. I'm afraid I don't know the name of this deity, my apologies for my ignorance.
The wholly bamboo erected hall (with a canvas on top) was huge....seating hundreds of mostly elderly people transfixed on a Chinese Opera play, depicting the life of the Deity.....
Okay, it's the first time for all of us to see this spectacle in progress......not that it was picture perfect, but the sense that this play is part of our cultural heritage made us proud, regardless of whether we understood it or not.
Our girl was totally transfixed by something she only have seen on television before....and what made us more happy was that she told us she liked the play very much.
Thank God she has not turned into a tv-munching doll yet, there is a life after High School Musical !!
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