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Photos: Hong Kong’s ‘villain hitting’ ritual draws crowds

In the unusual practice, clients bash an image of their target with a shoe in an effort to relieve themselves of bad moods.

A practitioner performs a "villain hitting" ceremony near papers with images of tigers on the day of "ging zat," as pronounced in Cantonese,
A practitioner performs a 'villain hitting' ceremony in Hong Kong [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
Published On 14 Mar 202314 Mar 2023
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People holding a grudge may have found a way to release it in Hong Kong’s “villain hitting” ritual.

To relieve themselves from a bad mood, customers paid ritual practitioners who work underneath the Canal Road Flyover in Causeway Bay, one of the city’s shopping districts, and watched them bashing an image of their target with a shoe.

It could be anyone — rival lovers and unfriendly colleagues, or horrible bosses and unlikeable public figures.

The ritual is particularly popular in March because some people believe the best day to perform it falls on “ging zat,” as pronounced in Cantonese, a day on the Chinese lunar calendar that literally means “awakening of insects”.

This year, “ging zat” fell on March 6. The tradition, mostly run by elderly women, attracted crowds of customers after the lifting of major COVID-19 restrictions, including the mask mandate.

“I’m hoping to cut out all the gossip around me and wish the bad people would stay away from me,” said tourist Edison Chan, who travelled from neighbouring Guangdong province.

The ritual, which does not hurt anyone physically, could help bring hope to those who are distressed, said Dr Beatrice Ng-Kessler, a registered clinical psychologist in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

A practitioner performs a "villain hitting" ceremony on the day of "ging zat," as pronounced in Cantonese, which on the Chinese lunar calendar literally means "awakening of insects,"
A practitioner performs the ceremony on the day of 'ging zat' - as pronounced in Cantonese - which on the Chinese lunar calendar literally means 'awakening of insects'. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
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A customer prays during a "villain hitting" ceremony under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong,
A customer prays during the ceremony. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
A practitioner performs a "villain hitting" ceremony as customers watch under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong
A practitioner performs a 'villain hitting' ceremony as clients watch. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
A practitioner performs a "villain hitting" ceremony under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong
A practitioner performs the ceremony aimed at ridding bad people from a person's life under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
Police officers and a plainclothes police officer inspect a "villain hitting" booth during a routine patrol under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong
Police officers inspect a 'villain hitting' booth during a routine patrol. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
Ho Pan-yong, a 60-year-old practitioner, performs a "villain hitting" ceremony on the day of "ging zat," as pronounced in Cantonese, which on the Chinese lunar calendar literally means "awakening of insects"
Ho Pan-yong, one of the practitioners, said she wanted to help her customers whack the bad people from their lives. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
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A practitioner performs a "villain hitting" ceremony and waves paper over a customer under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong
A charge of 50 Hong Kong dollars ($6.40) was levied for the five-minute act, which includes lighting incense followed by whacking the target and concludes with a ritual blessing. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
A pedestrian passes lines of customer waiting to receive a "villain hitting" ceremony on the day of "ging zat," as pronounced in Cantonese
A pedestrian passes lines of people waiting to receive a ceremony. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
A practitioner prepares papers with image of a villain at a "villain hitting" booth under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong
A practitioner prepares papers with images of a villain to be hit. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
A customer burns incense sticks during a "villain hitting" ceremony on the day of "ging zat," as pronounced in Cantonese, which on the Chinese lunar calendar literally means "awakening of insects,"
A client burns incense sticks during the ceremony. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]
A practitioner waits for customers at a "villain hitting" booth under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong,
A practitioner waits for customers at a 'villain hitting' booth. [Louise Delmotte/AP Photo]

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