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Festivals and Ritual Ceremonies 慶典祭祀
Listen 來聽 / Meanderings - Feature Story 咫尺 - 專題故事 / Feature: Tuning Silences — Listening to Peng Chau 怎個靜字了得 — 耳聽坪洲
Text 文:Yip Kai-chun/ 葉啟俊 English Translation 英譯: Yoyo Chan/ 陳蕾
11-12 Sept 九月 2017
Hong Kong/ 香港
Zoom H6 Handy Recorder/ Samsung SM-T285
chanting, lion dance, Peng Chau, qilin dance, 坪洲, 念經, 舞獅, 舞麒麟
Festivals and Ritual Ceremonies
Various eye-catching ritual ceremonies occur in the open space outside the pier. Besides the birthdays of deities worshipped at the various temples and mourning halls of the Peng Chau locals, the Ghost Festival and Kai Fong Festival draw a large crowd every year.
The Kai Fong Festival is a major event that runs over several days. The Ghost Master descends to the open space along with other ghosts on the eve of the first day. The clanging and banging sounds of the parade last throughout the whole festival and create large dance parties on the island.
When you go down to the streets in the morning, the usually quiet Choi Yan Hong and Sports Club are unexpectedly vibrant with flying lions, qilins, dragons, and carp, accompanied by dancing drums and gongs. Their presence thrills the island’s population and each has its fans. On the way back to the Tin Hau Temple, several Taoist monks chant verses before reading out the names of the donors written on the red slips covering the walls. While their songs wish the worshippers unity and peace, their rhythms make them sound like a rap group.
In the afternoon, various groups gather in the open space, raising their voices to try to drown each other out. Tin Hau, sitting comfortably in her litter, joins the flying lions, qilins, dragons, and carp with her own noisy parade around the island. In front of the doorway of each and every family home is a small altar, wishing health and good luck to everyone. Some families give out free sodas and beers to the parade team. Half way around everyone takes a break in an abandoned school, and the dancing dragons and lions pull out all the stops and get everyone rooting and cheering like in a rap battle. After the tour around the island, Tin Hau returns to her temple, and all the excited parties run down the straight road by the pier to conclude the two-hour parade by burning incense at the Tin Hau Temple. I did not expect the Yu Lan Ghost Festival to be so much fun until I had experienced the Kai Fong Festival. These are truly the most energetic days on Peng Chau.
As Charles observed, these festivals and rituals give Peng Chau the privilege of enjoying plenty of Chinese music performed by well-trained, conscientious musicians. In a funeral he followed one day, a couple of musicians improvised all the way to the burial site on the mountaintop, playing as they walked along or when they stopped at different places on the mountain. What sounded spontaneous joined together in harmony. The beats, the movements of the performance inspired Charles in his own western musical compositions.
慶典祭祀
坪洲的祭祀慶典都在碼頭外的空地,顯眼又種類繁多。除了坪洲各廟宇諸仙的寶誕,坪洲居民的靈堂之外,還有年中最熱鬧的中元建醮和街坊建醮。
最大型的街坊建醮是一連數日的盛事。未到正日,巨型大士王和其他鬼神降臨空地,連日來全島都聽到打鑼打鼓巡遊,威勢十足。
那日朝早落街,看見平日靜嚶嚶的菜園行體育會,忽然間門口都有隻獅子麒麟飛龍鯉魚舞動,伴以大鑼大鼓,家家各有觀眾擁躉,合境一下子熱鬧起來。再回天后宮,但見數名道士頌經,再一同讀出牆上紅紙捐款者的姓名,保佑善信和合境平安,節拍合拍得像饒舌三重唱。
到了下午,早前在自己地頭的各派已雲集空地,撞聲撞得應一應。之後,一眾獅子麒麟飛龍鯉魚跟從坐轎的天后娘娘,環島巡遊,響遍整個坪洲。每家每戶門前擺個小祭壇,互相恭賀身體健康平安順心,有的更贈送水汽水啤酒予巡遊隊伍。行到一半,大家在空置的學校休息,各派龍獅一一進場施展渾身解數,好像舞龍舞獅的嘻哈格鬥,人人喝彩歡呼。環島行遍過後,天后娘娘回宮,各派則興高彩烈,由碼頭處大直路跑到天后宮前裝香,結束為時兩個多小時的巡遊。未見識過街坊建醮之前,沒想過盂蘭勝會可以這麼開心好玩。那是坪洲最有活力的數日。
據Charles觀察,因為坪洲各式祭祀,在島上聽到中式音樂的機會比較多,而且樂師訓練有素,絕非隨便應付。有日我跟隨葬禮隊伍,奏樂的樂手數名,在上山落葬途中因應當時情況,邊行邊吹,或是站在山頭各處吹,看似隨興即興,卻配合得宜。這些奏樂的節拍、移動,甚至成為Charles創作西樂的靈感。
:: Recording 錄音 ::
Kai Fong Festival Tin Hau Temple/ 街坊建醮 天后宮 念善信名
12’14”
Yip Kai-chun/ 葉啟俊
Morning/ 上午, 11/09/2017
Tin Hau Temple/ 天后宮
Zoom H6 Handy Recorder/ Handheld/ 手持錄音
chanting/ 念經
Kai Fong Festival Choi Yan Hong/ 街坊建醮 菜園行
10’18”
Yip Kai-chun/ 葉啟俊
Morning/ 上午, 11/09/2017
Choi Yan Hong/ 菜園行
Zoom H6 Handy Recorder/ Handheld/ 手持錄音
qilin dance/ 舞麒麟
Kai Fong Festival Sports Club/ 街坊建醮 體育會
8’59”
Yip Kai-chun/ 葉啟俊
Morning/ 上午, 11/09/2017
Sports Club/ 體育會
Zoom H6 Handy Recorder/ Handheld/ 手持錄音
lion dance/ 舞獅
Kai Fong Festival before the parade/ 街坊建醮 巡遊開始前
12’00”
Yip Kai-chun/ 葉啟俊
Afternoon/ 下午, 11/09/2017
Lo Peng Street/ 露坪街
Zoom H6 Handy Recorder/ Walking While Recording/ 邊行邊錄音
Kai Fong Festival during the parade/ 街坊建醮 巡遊中
8’27”
Yip Kai-chun/ 葉啟俊
Afternoon/ 下午, 11/09/2017
Peng Chau/ 坪洲
Zoom H6 Handy Recorder/ Walking While Recording/ 邊行邊錄音
Kai Fong Festival half way battle/ 街坊建醮 中場鬥法
19’25”
Yip Kai-chun/ 葉啟俊
Afternoon/ 下午, 11/09/2017
Chi Yan Public School/ 公立志仁學校
Zoom H6 Handy Recorder/ Walking While Recording/ 邊行邊錄音
Kai Fong Festival burning of The Ghost Master/ 街坊建醮 燒大士王
3’02”
Yip Kai-chun/ 葉啟俊
Evening/ 傍晚, 12/09/2017
Close to Peng Chau Pier/ 碼頭附近
Samsung SM-T285/ Handheld/ 手持錄音
:: Tuning Silences — Listening to Peng Chau 怎個靜字了得 — 耳聽坪洲 ::
> Prologue 引言
1. Low Volume Ear Cleansing 清耳仔的底聲
2. Noises in Serenity 靜中帶嘈
3. The Songs of Birds and Bamboo 鳥風竹浪
4. Festivals and Ritual Ceremonies 慶典祭祀
5. Ferries Coming & Going 船來船往
< Conclusion 結語

街坊建醮念經念善信念合境平安
The Kai Fong Festival chanting and songs wishing worshippers unity and peace

平日靜嚶嚶的體育會菜園行等多炮齊響
The usually quiet Choi Yan Hong and Sports Club are unexpectedly vibrant with dancing drums and gongs

大鑼大鼓大陣杖行足坪洲一圈
The clanging and banging sounds of the parade create large dance parties over the whole Peng Chau