Folk ritual that gets rid of pests and stress

Crowds seeking spiritual release queued up under the Canal Road Flyover in Causeway Bay on Mar.5. For only HK$50, the self-proclaimed psychic, also known as the “godmother”, can cast a spell on a villain of your choice.

A client would write the name of the hated person on a piece of paper. The godmother would then fold the paper talisman, hit it viciously with a shoe then stuff it into the mouth of a paper tiger, which was then burned to ashes. 

The client would then offer incense to the god of the earth and the white tiger. The white tiger is the bogeyman in Chinese folklore and the offering, again is supposed to dispel bad luck.

Finally, a piece of paper with a prayer on it would be offered  to the deity. Clients would then  use a divination block to ask the deity questions and then get responses through the divination block.

The ritual called “villain hitting” is believed to take away bad luck, is a form of folk witchcraft practiced in the Cantonese-speaking regions of China. 

This activity is especially popular on the day of  the “Awakening of Insects”, one of 24 solar terms in the Chinese calendar, which symbolises the revival of insects, as well as t pests. While Hong Kong is far from agricultural, the Awakening of Insects is also a time to ward off evil. 

Koline Kong, a 20-year-old local girl waited more than three hours for a five minute villain hitting session.  “It's my first time at this event, “ she said. ‘My sister asked me to help her clear up her bad luck.”

“I found this activity very interesting on Rednote, so I came to experience it with my good friend,” said Sylvia Wang, a 23-year-old Hong Kong University student. 

The “godmother” also offered Fengshui consultation, palm reading and wedding date selection, all at extra cost.

“By throwing a fortune-telling cup, I asked the spirits about my career direction,” said  Hillary He, 25, who is going to graduate from the University of Hong Kong this year. “Through the ceremony, I hope to find a job easily next year.”

“I came here because I'm afraid I'm going to have a lot of trouble at work this year," said Jackson Jiang, 28, a product manager from the mainland who is working in Hong Kong. 

Joana, who refused to give her full name, is a government personnel from France, and she believed the event had really cleared up her misfortune.

“I learned about this activity from a friend. I came here last year for the sake of facts, but later I found it amazing,” she said. “Last year's work was much smoother than before, so I came here again before the Awakening of Insects this year to hit the villains."