Beating a paper enemy with a shoe? Inside Hong Kong’s ‘Villain Hitting’ ritual

Hong Kong, Thekabarnews.com—People in southern China and Hong Kong still want to take part in this weird ceremony. In Cantonese, “da siu yan” means “striking the tiny person” or “beating the nasty guy.” This tradition is a technique to get rid of bad luck, bad energy, or bad individuals in a symbolic fashion.

People in Hong Kong and Guangdong still do the rite, either at shrines along the road or under flyovers. People generally conduct the technique when they are upset about something in their life, including a breakup, work stress, or people they think are their adversaries.

In the ceremony, the practitioner makes or uses a paper figure to stand in for the “villain.” Then, the performer beats the effigy with a shoe over and over while uttering chants that are supposed to get rid of bad luck and evil plans. Then, the person burns the paper figure to get rid of things or individuals they do not desire.

Locals find it calm, but outsiders find it overwhelming. It is based on old Taoist and folk religion notions about how to manage energy. Many people report that the act helps them deal with their emotions and makes them feel stronger after going through something hard.

Some versions of the ritual include more symbolic items to accomplish than others. Before they burned the effigy, some folks smeared fat on its mouth. People think that doing things like these will discourage people from talking or make enemies less willing to damage others.

Cultural historians claim that “villain bashing” is part of a larger effort in East Asia to make things fair.

The ritual lets people speak what they want in a secure and controlled fashion, which stops them from fighting in real life. Visitors who live there and those who come to visit prefer things the way they are now.

Some people think it is merely a superstition, but others claim it is a huge part of their culture that makes them feel better. We still need rituals like da siu yan in our busy and stressful lives. They show us that things that seem odd can be really significant to us.