Hong Kong’s ‘villain hitters’ shut up shop for first time in decades as precaution against raging Covid-19 fifth wave
- Officials, ritual performers reach consensus to suspend business of repelling bad luck underneath Canal Road Flyover to avoid crowds gathering at weekend
- Also known as ‘petty person beating’, ritual is considered more effective when insects are awakened by year’s first thunder, which this time falls on Saturday
The government announced on Thursday that the chairman of Wan Chai District Council and the District Office had reached a consensus with major ritual performers that they would suspend business underneath the Canal Road Flyover to avoid crowds gathering and increasing the risk of virus transmission.
The ritual, which is also known as “petty person beating”, is considered more effective when insects are awakened by the first thunder of the year. This year, the “Insects Awakening” on the lunar calendar falls on Saturday.
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The ritual involves a practitioner using a shoe to hit a piece of paper with the name or photo of the customer’s chosen “villains” and cursing these enemies to drive away bad luck.
The flyover area, commonly known as “goose neck bridge” after an earlier structure, has been a popular site where the ritual performers have been carrying out their business throughout the year over the past few decades.
But no stalls were operating around noon on Saturday, and more than 10 police officers were seen patrolling nearby.
A villain beater with more than 30 years’ experience said she was told by other practitioners police had asked them to suspend business around the “awakening”, so she decided to close her stall between Friday and Sunday.
