Hong Kong to have ‘no success in gaining wealth’ during Year of the Pig, according to fortune stick drawn by pro-Beijing legislator Kenneth Lau
- Rural chief puts positive spin on less-than-ideal prophecy, and says ‘we need the public’s support for the government’s policies’
- One interpreter says omen drawn at annual event could refer to the administration's major building projects
A rural leader in Hong Kong drew a less-than-ideal prophecy for the city, foretelling struggles in the Year of the Pig, at a traditional fortune stick ritual in the New Territories on Wednesday.
But Kenneth Lau Ip-keung, also a pro-Beijing legislator, was quick to add a helpful spin, interpreting his fortune as meaning things would go well as long as people support the government.
He did not address the part of the omen which augured “no success in gaining wealth”, for a city largely focused on trade and finance.
Lau, who chairs powerful rural body the Heung Yee Kuk, officiated at the fortune stick drawing at Sha Tin’s Che Kung Temple.
The draw uses a bamboo cylinder containing 96 numbered sticks. Each stick refers to an omen, usually presented as four lines of text. Of the omens, 35 bode well, 17 bode ill, and 44 are neutral. During the ceremony, participants shake the cylinder. The first stick to fall out denotes their fortune.
