[Hong Kong Cuisine] MTR Shau Kei Wan Station: ‘Hong Kong Festival’ – Lion and Dragon Dance, Fireworks and Colourful Float Parade on East Street at ‘Tam Kung Temple’. When, where, opening hours, map, how to get there?

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[Hong Kong Cuisine] MTR Shau Kei Wan Station: ‘Hong Kong Festival’ – Lion and Dragon Dance, Fireworks and Colourful Float Parade on East Street at ‘Tam Kung Temple’. When, where, opening hours, map, how to get there?
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Hong Kong’s festivals in May are quite distinctive, with most taking place in early May. The three festive events are held on two separate dates. On the eighth day of the fourth lunar month (3 May), there are the celebrations for the ‘Birthday of Tam Kung’ and the Buddha Bathing Ceremony to mark the ‘Buddha’s Birthday’. The other is the famous ‘Cheung Chau Bun Festival’. As the ‘Cheung Chau Bun Festival’ has been covered by many others, what I would like to focus on this time isThanks to its convenient transport links, the ‘Tan Gong Festival’ in Shau Kei Wan attracts fewer visitors, whilst still featuring traditional events such as dragon and lion dances and processions.

There are several ‘Tam Kung Temples’ in Hong Kong, also known as the Tam Kung Immortal Temple, among which the one in Shau Kei Wan—the oldest Tam Kung Temple in Hong Kong—hosts the grandest birthday celebrations. From the morning right through to midday, the festivities feature traditional performances such as dragon dances, lion dances and processions, creating a truly lively atmosphere!
The parade will take place along East Street and Tam Kung Miu Road; it’s very easy to get to, as you can walk straight there from Exit B1 of Shau Kei Wan MTR Station. There are plenty of well-known little shops in the vicinity, making it very convenient to find something to eat; you might want to set aside two hours to have lunch or pick up some snacks whilst you’re here.

Times and venues for the traditional dragon and lion dance and parade performances at ‘Tan Gong Temple’

Performance times at the open-air theatre: from midday until evening on the seventh day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar
Parade time: Starting at 10.00 am on the 8th day of the fourth month of the Lunar Calendar
Route: Shau Kei Wan Tram Terminus > East Street > Tam Kung Temple
Time of the ceremony: Starting at 11.00 am on the 8th day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar
Venue for the ceremony: the open space opposite Tan Gong Temple



There are plenty of places to eat near Shau Kei Wan East Street:

  1. ‘Amway Fish Ball Noodles’ – the place with the longest queues; the fish balls, with their rich fish flavour, are a must-try! Also, try the thick noodles tossed in soy sauce with slices of pork belly, cooked in soy sauce (22 Dongda Street)
  2. The spicy pickled cabbage at ‘Ah Yi’s Pork Chop Rice Noodles’, recommended by a long-time local, is delicious; the strongly spiced, sour-and-spicy broth has a slightly numbing and spicy flavour. The pork chop is fried until crispy without being greasy, and the meat is perfectly tender.
  3. The snack shops ‘Indonesian Skewers’ and ‘Low-Key Master’ next to the MTR station are still going strong, but ‘Gao Deng Fried Chicken’ has closed down.
  4. There’s a shop called ‘Hong Sing Bakery’ at the entrance to Jinhua Street Market; long-time locals say this is where you’ll find the best ‘egg tarts with a biscuit base’ in the whole of Hong Kong—though I’m not sure if that’s a bit of an exaggeration.
  5. In addition, ‘Hua Xing Café’—famous across Hong Kong Island for its scrambled eggs—also has a branch here, whilst the former ‘Nan Long Café’ has now moved to Causeway Bay.
Have a go at this, and let me know how it tastes.

How to get there:
MTR > Shau Kei Wan Station (Exit D1) on the Island Line > Walk for about 5 minutes along Tung Hei Road > Tam Kung Miu Road