Beyond the renowned Bun Scrambling Competition and colourful floats, the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival also includes a solemn ritual held late at night, when the island has returned to quiet. The King of Ghosts stands before offerings made for wandering spirits, as scriptures are chanted and incense smoke rises. The ceremony ends with the burning of the Ghost King, sending him back to the underworld.

In his many years living on Cheung Chau, photographer Preston Hartwick has  documented the nights of the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival using two light-leaking film cameras. Dreamlike and richly coloured, these photographs make the festival nights appear both real and unreal. This is the photographer’s first presentation of this treasured body of work.