Hundreds of locals and tourists gathered under the Canal Road flyover in Causeway Bay to participate in a traditional Chinese ritual called "villain-hitting."
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Villain-hitting, also known as da siu yan, is a type of folk sorcery popular in Guangdong and Hong Kong that is meant to dispel bad luck, resolve conflicts, eliminate negative influences, protect oneself and restore peace.
It is especially popular during Jingzhe, a solar term that alludes to hibernating animals "awakened by spring thunder" and the Earth springing back to life - which some people also believe is the time when harmful forces return.
In the prominent roadside venue for villain-hitting beneath a flyover, locals and tourists had to queue for more than two hours to get the two-minute ritual performed by a practitioner for HK$50.
Ms Chung, who lives in Tai Po, said she queued for two-and-a-half hours because "I just want my life to be smooth."
She added: "I did not specify who should be 'hit.' I've learned online that I will also lose some of my fortune if I pick someone."
She said this was the third consecutive year she was doing the ritual and hoped for peace of mind and a healthy life.
Miss Huang, a Guangzhou tourist, said she had tried villain-hitting before and heard that performing it during Jingzhe would be more effective. She also only wished for a "smooth year."
Another tourist, Miss Wang from Taiwan, said she saw the ritual in movies and found it interesting so she just had to come to Hong Kong to try it out.
"I just came here to experience the ritual and found it quite special. I hope I can now win in horse racing," she added.
Sorcerer Wong said villain-hitting commonly protects the clients themselves from evil forces rather than hurting the villains. Many customers, including tourists, however, targeted mistresses this year.
Wong added: "Many customers from Taiwan as well as mainland cities, including Shenzhen, wished for good health, peace and smooth progress in work. None of them asked me to 'hit' government officials. It is peaceful nowadays."michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com
