Hong Kong Relics 香港遺風

Buddha Bathing Festival (Showering Buddha Festival, 浴佛節, 佛誕)

On the 8th
day of the fourth month in Chinese calendar, it is the birthday of the
Buddha. This day normally falls in May. To commemorate the birth of the
Buddha,
a group of followers gather in a community hall on a sunday at Hong
Kong side. I am glad to have the luck to witness the whole procedure.

Everybody has to stand up to welcome the start of the ceremony.

Master Monk, accompanied by his disciples, walks through the central alley, sheltered by the two-layered 'umbrella'.

We are facing the central alley.

The baby Buddha figure is the one in gold colour on the table.

Six monks (in brown kasaya on
the the stage) are responsible for chanting, hitting the instruments
and ... . After about an hour of chanting, followers would carefully
pour water onto the shoulders and head of the baby Buddha figure,
prompting them the doctrine and tenet of Buddhism.

Sainted water is poured onto the floor of the whole community hall.

There are about two hundred persons to participate, fifty percent of which are followers (in black gown).

Scriptures are printed on both pages of a white paper.