Celebrate the Monkey King’s Magical and Boisterous Spirit

Description

What do you know Monkey King best from? Journey to the West, the award-winning game… ?

Well, there’s also a traditional Chinese festival dedicated to him the legend also known as Sun Wukong.

Following the Mid-Autumn Festival, from 25 to 27 September 2026 (15th to 17th days of the eighth lunar month), the Monkey King Festival celebrates the literary and religious figure known for appearing in the classic 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. The story follows monk Xuanzang’s pilgrimage to India, accompanied by three acolytes including the mischievous yet heroic Monkey King who gains Buddhist immortality. Once an outcast from heaven, the Monkey King has captivated generations with his magical abilities, humour and bravery.

Central to the local Chiu Chow community, the festival is observed with traditional temple rituals performed at various Monkey King temples around Hong Kong – notably Tai Shing Temple in Sau Mau Ping, Kowloon. It also features incense burning, paper offerings and Taoist ceremonies, alongside dramatic acts that honour the Monkey King’s boisterous spirit.