Hated colleagues, classmates and mothers-in-law targets of Hong Kong spell-casting ritual
Practice involving pounding effigies with an old shoe is particularly popular this time of the year, as believers and tourists flock to Causeway Bay spot
Amid the daily buzz of traffic and pedestrians around an area under the Canal Road Flyover in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, a distinct pounding beat resonates from rituals performed by a group of elderly women who claim they can rid clients of bad luck and enemies.
For HK$50 (US$6), the self-proclaimed sorceresses hold ceremonies by the roadside which involve pounding paper effigies with shoes and burning incense and candles.
The effigies represent people that customers want “beaten”, including hated work affiliates, annoying classmates and even troublesome mothers-in-law.
While the stalls are open all year round, business was booming this week as it marked the beginning of Jingzhe – or the awakening of insects – one of 24 solar terms believed to be the most effective time for the ritual.
One woman in her late 20s, who did not want to be named, paid practitioner Sister Yan HK$150 to perform the ritual three times on an effigy of her mother-in-law.
She said a friend had recommended that she use the method to “solve” issues at home.
