Countdown to CNY: fortune seeking at Wong Tai Sin, Che Kung Temples

With less than a week until the Chinese New Year, The Standard's "Countdown to CNY" series will bring you the Spring Festival traditions and even the Chinese zodiac forecast.

Among popular Chinese New Year traditions are visiting Wong Tai Sin Temple on the eve of the Lunar New Year, and Che Kung Temple on the second or third day to secure good luck in the new year.

Every Chinese New Year's Eve, thousands of people queue outside Wong Tai Sin temple to be one of the first to offer incense once midnight comes; it is said that the earlier in the year someone offers incense, the more auspicious their year will be.

Meanwhile, Che Kung Temple also receives thousands of worshippers seeking good fortune, who come to beat drums and spin fans – doing so clockwise three times if the past year's luck was positive, and vice versa if it was negative.

Many visit on the second day, Che Kung's birthday, while others choose to go on the third day – known for being when people are prone to quarrels – considering the activity has little human interaction.