Every year on the 8th day of the 4th month of the lunar calendar in Shau Kei Wan of the Eastern District in Hong Kong, there is a celebration of Tam Kung. Local residents, particularly fisherman, worship this god of the sea at the Tam Kung Temple, also located here.
This year, on May 21, I attended the festival celebrating Tam Kung. A parade of most (maybe all?) of the lion dance groups in Hong Kong wrapped around the neighborhood for 3 hours. The weather was hot, thick, and sticky, the streets packed with people all trying to get a glimpse of the lions.
After an hour or so, I needed a break from the mayhem and my friend and I slipped into a small dim sum restaurant. Taking away the visual aspect, I noticed that each group had their own distinct drum rhythm during the parade, and soon I could guess which group was about to pass the restaurant. I snapped a few shots and caught a little footage, check it out:
Waiting for the show to start.
Children posing with the lion heads.
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It was tough to get the lion dancing on video with so many people around, but this is the best I could do:
Watch this one for a taste of the drumming:
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