Bun Scrambling Final to be held on Cheung Chau next Wednesday

     The Bun Scrambling Final is the finale of the 2024 Bun Carnival, and will be staged at the soccer pitch of Pak Tai Temple Playground on Cheung Chau on the night of May 15 (Wednesday). A total of 12 finalists will vie for the championships in the men's and women's divisions.
 
     Trophies will be awarded to the champion, first runner-up and second runner-up in the men's division and the champion in the women's division. The "Full Pockets of Lucky Buns" award will continue to be presented this year to commend the participant who gathers the most buns.
 
     An opening ceremony to launch the Bun Scrambling Final will be held at 11.30pm on Wednesday. The final competition will start at midnight according to tradition. An invitation relay will be held immediately after the individual competition. The organisers, together with the Islands District Office, the Hong Kong Police Force (Police), the Transport Department (TD) and related government departments will implement the following crowd management measures to maintain public order. 
 
     Four spectator zones will be set up on the competition night at the soccer pitch of Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau, which can accommodate about 1 650 people. The distribution of free admission tickets will start at 10pm. Members of the public can queue up at Pak She First Lane, next to Cheung Chau Fire Station, and along Ping Chong Road for admission tickets. Each person can obtain one ticket on a first-come, first-served basis while tickets last. Spectators who have got their tickets should follow instructions from the Police and staff of the organisers for admission, which is expected to start from 10.30pm. Spectators should enter Zone 1 to Zone 4 in sequence.
 
     Notices will be put up at Central Pier No. 5 informing the public of the schedule and arrangements of the event. Notices and enquiry counters will also be set up at Cheung Chau Ferry Pier and at the entrance of Pak Tai Temple Playground, Cheung Chau, where staff will address public enquiries.
 
     The organisers will monitor the weather conditions on the night. The Bun Scrambling Final may be cancelled in case of inclement weather, such as thunderstorms, to ensure public safety. As stipulated in the prospectus, awards would then be determined based on the results of the selection contest. Since the Bun Scrambling Final is traditionally held at a specified period during the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, no replay of the competition would be rescheduled in such circumstances.
 
     The Police will conduct crowd-control measures, and appeal to members of the public to follow instructions of police officers and staff of the organisers, and be patient in crowded places.

     The TD will closely monitor the passenger demand for public transport services, and will keep close contact with ferry and bus companies to make necessary and appropriate arrangements.
 
     To cope with the passenger demand for leaving Cheung Chau after the event, Sun Ferry will operate a special sailing from Cheung Chau to Central at 1.15am on May 16.
 
     The bus companies will operate a special bus route No. 104R from Central Pier No. 5 to Mong Kok from about 1.10am to 2.30am on May 16. 

     In addition, overnight bus routes including Citybus route Nos. N8X (to Siu Sai Wan) and N90 (to South Horizons), Cross-Harbour Tunnel route Nos. N182 (to Kwong Yuen), N619 (to Shun Lee) and Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) route Nos. N373 (to Fanling), N368 (to Yuen Long West) will be diverted via Central Pier No. 5 from their first departures on May 16. The diversion arrangement will last until about 2am (for route No. N8X) and about 2.50am (for remaining routes aforementioned) on the same day. 

     Citybus overnight bus route Nos. N930 (departure at 1.35am to Tsuen Wan Discovery Park), N952 (departure at 1.25am to Tuen Mun Chi Lok Fa Yuen), N962 (departures at 1.15am and 1.45am to Tuen Mun Lung Mun Oasis) and KMB overnight bus route No. N960 (departure at 1.25am to Tuen Mun Kin Sang Estate) will also be diverted via Central Pier No. 5. 

     A temporary bus stop of the routes concerned will be designated outside Central Pier No. 5 for passengers' convenience.  

     To handle possible emergency rescue needs, St John Hospital would arrange corresponding manpower to respond to an emergency. The Government Flying Service will send a search and rescue team to provide assistance if necessary.