- Government officials are no longer the target of the shoe-hitting custom, as was the case before the national security law was imposed in June 2020
- Rhythmic beating of paper effigies and the jingling of bells resonated in the smoke-filled area underneath a flyover in Causeway Bay
Practitioners perform a ‘villain hitting’ ceremony under the Canal Road flyover in Causeway Bay. Photo: Sam TsangHundreds of Hongkongers congregated under an underpass in Causeway Bay on Tuesday in hopes of warding off bad luck. One ritual included “villain hitting”, with practitioners saying government officials were no longer targets of the practice.
Long queues formed throughout the day at about 18 stalls, with the rhythmic beating of paper effigies and the jingling of bells resonating in the smoke-filled area underneath the flyover, as the mostly elderly women used shoes to symbolically attack their customers’ “enemies” before burning joss paper.
“I was told the queue might be half an hour long,” said Zheng Jingjing, a visitor from Beijing. “I’ve had some quarrels recently so I hope to get this sorted here. My friend said this is effective and today happened to be the day for it, which is why I’m here.”
Zheng, 36, was referring to jingzhe, the day which marks the beginning of the “insects awakening” season in the lunar calendar and is considered the ideal time to carry out the ritual of beating the effigies to bring good fortune to oneself and bad luck to others.
The communications executive said she was a regular visitor to the city but it was her first time experiencing the ritual, adding it was very different to what she expected and she was fascinated by the sights and sounds.
“There was this ringing of bells around the client, too, and it felt like it would contribute to my aura and get rid of the evil spirits. It gives me peace in the process,” she said.
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The names of the clients’ “enemies” are written on the paper effigies, before practitioners place them on a brick to be hit with a shoe as they chant curses. The beaters then burn paper tigers and bless their clients to bring the ritual to a close.
Government officials were previously among the “enemies”, but practitioners said such requests from customers had stopped after Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020.
“People used to ask for officials such as [then chief executive] Carrie Lam [Cheng Yuet-ngor] to be hit, but such requests have not been heard in recent years,” said a practitioner who only gave her surname, Kwok.
She said she did not grant requests for officials to be targeted even before the security law took effect.
“Most people come to me to ask for peace and to ward off evil spirits overall without naming particular people. I don’t know much about politics,” said Kwok, who has 10 years of experience and is in her 60s.
Another practitioner surnamed Lui, who has 20 years of experience, also noted that officials were no longer named as “enemies” and said most customers asked her to help repel spirits that brought ailments.
“I feel that people might be unhappy but you can’t just take it out on others. That is why I never took requests of ‘hitting’ government officials,” Lui said.
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She said that many opted to undergo the ritual as more of an emotional release, adding that it could not reverse situations such as a terminal cancer diagnosis.
“Many things in life are meant to be. If the good things that are meant to be happen right after you’ve hit your villain, you’d easily attribute the luck to this,” she said, but stressed that the ritual still could improve one’s luck.
For years, the site in Causeway Bay has been a popular spot for residents and tourists alike to find performers of the ritual, with some working all year round at the location.
Hongkonger Mei Chan visited for the first time with her boyfriend Freddy Tse, both in their 30s.
“According to my zodiac sign, I might have bad luck this year, which is why I came today. I just want peace of mind,” Chan said. “A friend of mine comes every year and I tried at her recommendation.”
Tse, who works in the food and beverage industry, said he took part because of his girlfriend.
“I just felt like coming, I’ve never done this before. It seems to be able to comfort me a little,” he said.
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UK-based Ukrainian tourist Zoya Dvorak, 40, said she travelled to Hong Kong once eight years ago but had never seen the ritual before, adding it could pique the interest of those who are not familiar with the culture.
“I am not sure what is happening so I might not participate. I am not very superstitious,” she said. “How this looks was obviously what drew me here. It’s quite spectacular. It’s a show with the fire and bells and everything.”