Every year, Cheung Chau’s Pak Tai Temple distributes free rice on the eve of Buddha’s Birthday. The rice is believed to bring personal safety to recipients.
On Tuesday night, over a hundred people competed to bag a handful of rice outside the temple. A video captured by an audience member showed a chaotic scene as people fought their way to get the rice.
The video, posted on Facebook by Footprint of Cheung Chau, received over 2,000 “shares” and almost 2,000 reactions from fans.
Around 40 police officers were deployed to maintain order during the event. Some of them also took some rice while on duty, Oriental Daily reported.
The event took place during the famous annual bun festival that ran from Sunday until Thursday. Tens of thousands of people travelled to the island to participate in a range of events, including a ceremonial parade and a competition to grab “lucky” buns on a bamboo tower.
