A Whole Lot of Buns

Video details

Prayers are said and offerings are given to the God of the Sea,
part of a week-long tribute that began over 100 years ago to ward off pirates and plague, but not the rain.
Thunderstorms forced Hong Kong officials to cancel the main event of this festival, a race up a 50 foot tower covered with buns.
But that doesn't dampen the appetite for them, long considered a symbol of good luck.
On Cheung Chau this holiday is the biggest event of the year, and for this one bakery, it's the busiest time of year.
Local bakery, Kwok Kam Kee, has been making the festival 's delicious highlight for 40 years.
Every day we wake up. We make Ping An buns.
Shop owner, Kwok Kam Chuen, says around festival time, that means 10, 000 buns a day.
His workers cram into 700 square feet of space, rolling out dough, adding fillings like sesame or lotus paste,
before pulling the finished buns out of the steamer, up to 200 at a time.
Each one is stamped with the Chinese characters for peace.
Customers hand over about one US dollar per bun, and then... they're gone.
It's easily Kwok 's most profitable time of the year.
These eight to ten days, it's like doing eight to ten months of business.
Contestants are meant to grab buns as they race to the top of this tower.
The more buns you get and the higher you go, the better your luck.
While contestants may have lost their shot at setting their luck for the year, at least for Kwok the business of buns has still paid off.

Prayers are said and offerings are given to the God of the Sea,
and
are
the
to
of
Sea
said
given
God
offerings
Prayers
part of a week-long tribute that began over 100 years ago to ward off pirates and plague, but not the rain.
and
a
the
that
to
off
pirates
not
but
rain
over
years
ago
began
part of
plague
ward
week-long
tribute
Thunderstorms forced Hong Kong officials to cancel the main event of this festival, a race up a 50 foot tower covered with buns.
foot
with
a
the
to
of
this
up
race
festival
Hong Kong
main
covered
event
tower
cancel
forced
officials
buns
Thunderstorms
But that doesn't dampen the appetite for them, long considered a symbol of good luck.
for
a
the
that
of
good
But
doesn't
them
long
luck
symbol
considered
dampen
appetite
On Cheung Chau this holiday is the biggest event of the year, and for this one bakery, it's the busiest time of year.
is
and
for
the
it's
of
this
On
time
bakery
one
holiday
year
biggest
event
busiest
Cheung Chau
Local bakery, Kwok Kam Kee, has been making the festival 's delicious highlight for 40 years.
for
the
delicious
has
bakery
's
making
been
festival
highlight
years
Local
Kwok Kam Kee
Every day we wake up. We make Ping An buns.
we
We
day
make
Every
wake up
buns
Ping An
Shop owner, Kwok Kam Chuen, says around festival time, that means 10, 000 buns a day.
a
that
day
time
around
says
festival
means
owner
buns
Shop
Kwok
Kam
Chuen
His workers cram into 700 square feet of space, rolling out dough, adding fillings like sesame or lotus paste,
like
square
of
or
out
feet
into
His
workers
rolling
space
adding
sesame
fillings
cram
dough
lotus
paste
before pulling the finished buns out of the steamer, up to 200 at a time.
at
a
the
to
of
out
time
up
before
pulling
finished
buns
steamer
Each one is stamped with the Chinese characters for peace.
is
with
for
the
Chinese
one
Each
peace
characters
stamped
Customers hand over about one US dollar per bun, and then... they're gone.
and
about
one
over
they're
hand
then
gone
US
dollar
per
bun
Customers
It's easily Kwok 's most profitable time of the year.
It's
the
of
time
's
most
year
easily
profitable
Kwok
These eight to ten days, it's like doing eight to ten months of business.
like
to
it's
These
of
ten
doing
eight
days
business
months
Contestants are meant to grab buns as they race to the top of this tower.
are
the
to
they
of
this
as
race
top
grab
meant
tower
buns
Contestants
The more buns you get and the higher you go, the better your luck.
and
you
go
The
the
your
get
more
better
higher
luck
buns
While contestants may have lost their shot at setting their luck for the year, at least for Kwok the business of buns has still paid off.
at
for
the
have
of
off
has
may
setting
their
still
year
While
lost
at least
shot
business
luck
paid
buns
Kwok
contestants