13th day of the 2nd Month of the Lunar Calendar

Many Hung Shing Temples in Hong Kong organize celebrations on the 13th of the 2nd Lunar Month, with events at Ho Sheung Heung of Sheung Shui, Kau Sai Chau of Sai Kung, Ap Lei Chau of Aberdeen, Lantau Island of Mei Wo most prominent and well attended; Hung Shing Temple at Tai Kok Tsui celebrates in advance in form of a Temple Fair on the first Sunday of March. Certain villages like Po Toi O in Sai Kung celebrate Hung Shing Festival on the 13th of the 8th Lunar Month.

2nd day of the 2nd Month of the Lunar Calendar

Since their migration to the present-day New Territories in Song and Yuan Dynasties, the major clans of Hong Kong have been worshipping their ancestors in their ancestral halls. They share a deep-rooted belief that through the rites of worship, their ancestors bestow blessings on their posterity. The activity also fosters cohesion between members of the clan and advocates the morals of revering one’s ancestors. With the exception of the Great Clearance in the early Qing dynasty, the ancestral worship activities in Hong Kong have not been interrupted and have passed from generation to generation, which become a unique local custom. Although some of the rites have now been simplified, one may gain a glimpse of rural life in the olden days and the traditional thoughts in the Chinese society.

Liu Man Shek Tong

Many rural clans in the New Territories organize spring worships. They are the most important clan activities of a year. The date of the worship differs between villages, but it is mostly held in the 2nd or 3rd Lunar Month. The ancestral worship ceremony of the Liu Clan of Sheung Shui in particular retains a majority of traditional rites, with rich offerings. The spring worship on the 2nd of the 2nd Lunar month each year is joined not only by clansmen but also by many students and local custom lovers visiting Liu Man Shek Tong, who hope to have a better understanding of village customs through the ancestral worship ceremony.

The ancestors of the Liu Clan migrated southwards at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and settled first in Tuen Mun, then moved to Sheung Shui. The Liu Man Shek Tong, which was built in 1751, was the Ancestral Hall of the Liu Clan. It is a traditional three-hall building with two open courtyards, and enshrines founding ancestors such as Liu Chung-kit. Women were not allowed to enter the ancestral hall in the past, but as times change the rule has been relaxed, but during times of ancestral worship, women of the clan have to stay outside the hall.

Traditional rites

On the day of the spring worship a tableful of offerings is placed before the ancestral shrine. Besides tea, wine, rice, soup and all manners of seafood and other vegetarian food, there are “five raw and five cooked ingredients” – comprising various entrails and meats of chicken and swine – placed in ten dishes. The “Five raw” ingredients are laid in unique forms: chicken meat is carved in hen-form, the pork is scored with crisscrossing cuts to give an impression of “fields”, the pig’s heart is made into a “lotus flower”, the pig’s liver is made into a “leaf”, the pig’s stomach is made into a “rat”. The last is fashioned out of the traditional notion that rats only emerge when food is abundant; which is why a rat is used to symbolize the wish for abundant harvest. It is a representation of the values of the rural village.

The ancestral worship rites begin at 11 in the morning. The rundown follows that of the ancient customs, with over a dozen ceremony masters taking up various tasks, including the Tong Zhan (responsible for chanting), Yin Zhan (responsible for rites of passage), Si Zhu (responsible for declaiming the invocations), Si Zun (responsible for wine offering), Si Pao (responsible for the launch of fireworks), Si Gu (responsible for sounding the drum and gongs), and the passing of offerings. The most senior member of the clan presents the offerings to ancestors and deities to the ancestors, and then other clansmen offer wine according to the order of seniority. The entire ceremony takes 45 minutes, which has been greatly shortened compared to the past, but it still retains much of the old ways. For example, the invocations read by the Tong Zhan and Si Zhu are written in ancient style, and they are read in a slightly Hakka inflection.

Hung Shing Tai Wong

Who is Hung Shing? A common folklore in Hong Kong pointed to Hung Shing as an actual person named Hung Hei, who was the Provincial Governor of Panyu County of Tang Dynasty. He was an upright official and a scholar of astronomy, geography and mathematics. He founded an observatory to forecast the weather which benefited fishermen and merchants at sea. He died early from over-exertion, and to honour his contributions, the imperial emperor gave him the title “Kwong Li Hung Shing Tai Wong of the South Seas”.

The ethnographers on the Mainland have another story. They believe that Hung Shing is the deity of the South Seas, who is also known in Cantonese folklore as Zhurong, the God of Fire. A Nankai Temple in Guangzhou, which was built in Sui Dynasty, enshrines the deity of South Seas. Down the ages, the imperial emperors continued to heap title upon title upon the deity, for example “Kwong Li Wong”, “Hung Shing”, etc. The deity became known in folklore as “Kwong Li Hung Shing Tai Wong”. Nevertheless, Hung Shing is recognized as the God of Water, because all Hung Shing Temples found in Hong Kong were originally located near rivers or by the sea.

On the morning of the festival, the villagers of Ho Sheung Heung attend a worshipping ceremony at the Hung Shing Temple. The opera artists perform such opera titles as “Birthday Greetings by the Eight Immortals” (《八仙賀壽》) , “Promotion in the Court” (《跳加官》) and “The Heavenly Maiden Offering a Son” (《天姬送子》), to offer greeting to deities. Later lion and dragon dance teams arrive and offer performances, driving the event to its peak. The climax of the activity is the Floral Tribute Scrambling, which is one of the few similar traditional activities remaining in Southern China.

Floral tribute Scrambling

At 1 pm, the representatives of different lion dance or floral tribute societies gather at the open area in front of the temple, at the centre of which a tribute scaffolding is placed. As the person-in-charge lights the fuse, a bamboo tube, representing the floral tribute, is launched into the air, and all villagers scramble to grab the tube. The next year, the tribute is returned together with such gifts as roasted suckling pig, lantern, tribute silver and fragrant oil. The event launches 7 Paper floral tributes each year and each tribute has an auspicious names. Those who scrambled for the Floral Tributes believe that it would bring good luck.

The scrambling of the first few Floral Tributes are the most vigorous. Later, with some of the organizations already scored, there are fewer competitors. This is why the first Floral Tribute is seen as the most significant and the items and cash that are returned with this tribute are the richest. Even those in the same village would scramble and even quarrel over the tribute, if they belong to different tribute societies.

The simplification of Floral Tributes

The floral tribute scrambling activity held during the Hung Shing Festival aims to distribute the floral tributes – representing the deities – to the groups who worship these deities. The traditional floral tribute is a decorative construction made from paper and bamboo strips. It is 20-feet high construction with statues or spirit tablets at the centre, surrounded by auspicious decorations. The floral tribute of Ho Sheung Heung was simplified as a “tribute mirror”, on which the words “Hung Shing Temple of Ho Sheung Heung” are written. No other decorations adorn the tribute to facilitate storage.

25th of the 2nd month of the Lunar Calendar

Most residents of Hong Kong migrated from the Mainland, and some even introduced the deities and beliefs from their ancestral home. The Three Mountain Kings are one of them. Currently about 6 temples in Hong Kong enshrine the Three Mountain Kings, with the Three Mountain Kings Temple at Ping Shek of Ngau Chi Wan enjoying the longest history. The Three Mountain King’s Festival on 25th of the 2nd Lunar Month attracts many members of the community to attend the god worshipping festival. A small bamboo-shed theatre is built outside the temple with 4 days of performances to entertain both men and deity.

Three Mountains and Kings

Who are the Three Mountain Kings? The legends are many, but one of the more common stories goes like this: They were the three generals serving under Yang Jian, Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty. They were named Lian Qinghua, Zhao Zhuzheng, and Qiao Huiwei, and were sworn brothers. Because of their many battle achievements, they were worshipped after death. In Song Dynasty, these three generals appeared as apparitions in Chao Zhou and helped the Emperor of Song Dynasty beat his enemies (there were different versions as to which Emperor it was). When the Emperor tried to thank them, they were disappeared; only three mountains were visible in the distance. The Emperor believed that they were incarnates of the Mountain Gods, and as such gave them the title “The Three Mountain Kings”. The three mountains were Du Mountain, Ming Mountain and Jin Mountain of Raoping County of Chao Zhou. 

The Hakkas were the first one who to bring this belief to Hong Kong from Chaozhou. They built a temple in Ngau Chi Wan Village in around the 18th Century, which enshrined only one of the kings (Rumour has it that it was the “Third King”). The temple was visited and worshipped by the communities of different origins nearby, and are still popular among believers today.

Ceremonies of the festival

The temple used to be the gathering site for 13 villages in Kowloon. It is now independently managed by the Ngau Chi Wan Village. On 23rd to 26th of February each year, the Three Mountain Kings Temple Committee hires Cantonese opera troupes to perform god-worshipping plays lasting 4 nights and 3 days. Because of space constraints, the theatre can only be built at the open area beside the temple instead of facing directly the deities in the temple. A small shrine is therefore built on top of the audience stand upon which the statue of the “Third King” is placed. Incense offerings have to be kept throughout the performance in the shrine just as in the temple, to indicate reverence.

At 12 noon on the day of festival, the president of Three Mountain Kings Temple Committee, together with all committee members, offers incense and offerings to the deities, and chants invocations according to tradition. The invocation praises the gods as “Kings that command eternal respect” who “guards the people against evil”. It is apparent that the believers see the Three Mountain Kings as guardians.

After the ceremony, the members of the opera troupe enter the temple to perform three short regular plays for the gods, including “Birthday Greetings by the Eight Immortals” (《八仙賀壽》) , “Promotion in the Court” (《跳加官》) and “The Heavenly Maiden Offering a Son” (《天姬送子》), symbolizing blessings of good fortune, plentiful offspring and longevity. A senior committee member then casts divination blocks for each of the member, and uses the number of times that a sheng-bei (one block facing upwards, one facing downwards) is obtained to decide the candidate for the president and vice-president of the upcoming year. This method of election carries a more religious overtone than simple mutual voting.

Bringing the neighbourhood together

As the older generation passes on, the Three Mountain Kings Festival becomes less boisterous, and the Floral Tribute activities have faded out. But many residents of Ngau Chi Wan still come to offer incense and watch the God-worshipping plays. Even those that have moved out of the community would come back to worship the gods and gather with their family and friends. On the evening of the festival, some 30 tables were set in the open area behind the temple (with head and last tables), and chefs are hired to prepare on site a feast that the community would all enjoy. Given the space restrictions, many believers are unable to procure a seat, and for a time the banquet took the location of a restaurant. But the atmosphere was less rich than that in the vicinity of a temple.

Insects awakening (5th, 6th or 7th day of the 3rd month of the Lunar Calendar)

“Villain beating” is a local custom that has rapidly gained popularity in recent years. The area beneath the Canal Road Flyover at Wanchai is a hotspot for the custom, with “villain beaters” – usually old ladies – stationed here all year round. Business is particularly thriving on the Insects Awakening Day. The location underneath the flyover is considered a place of abundant yin energy, and is an ideal place for villain beating. On the Insect Awakening day, besides the curb of Hennessy Road, altars were also placed along Canal Road West (Most worshipping Guan Yam, with some worshipping the Monkey King). There were a total of some 30 altars surrounded by crowds of believers looking to use the villain beating service. The sounds of shoes rising and falling created a unique clamour in the area.

Insects Awakening

“Insects awakeingn” is one of the 24 solar terms of China. It is designated as the 5th, 6th or 7th day of the 3rd Lunar Month. This is the peak season for infectious diseases with the fluctuating temperatures; the SARS pandemic in 2003 and the fatal flu epidemic in 2008 also broke out during this period. Guangdong folklore believes that lurking creatures are awoken by the spring thunders on this day. All manners of snake, insects and mice, together with “villains”, come out for food and activity, to harm humans, livestock and crops. This is why they find it necessary to “feed the white tiger” and “beat the villain”. The White Tiger is a star of ill omen, which also keeps the evil in check. Traditionally, blubber is used as offering to feed the white tiger so it does not bite anyone. Today, worshipping the white tiger has become a secondary activity, since villain beating becomes the major event.

What is a “Villain”

“Villains” may refer to actual persons who sow discord or foment dissension; the term can also be a metaphor for ill luck or bad omen. Traditionally, when “villains” get close, “Gui Ren” (literally, auspicious persons) distant themselves. If villains cannot be avoided, they should be “resolved” so that their ill effects do not linger. Thus villain beating serves the due purpose of driving away ill luck and welcoming good fortune. If one encounters career hiccups, or has become an object of spite, or has an outstanding loan, or is inflicted by ailments, or whose lover is involved in affair, one would resort to “villain beating” in hopes of seeing a better change.

The procedures of “Villain Beating”

The practice of each beater is slightly different, but most would ask the name of the client and the particular objective of beating. Afterwards, a piece of “villain paper” was placed on a brick; an old shoe (high heels or slippers are also usable) was used to beat on the piece of paperwhile chanting such words as, “villain, be silent and leave my client”, “good fortune follows villain beating”, and so on. Some villain beaters used a stick of incense to burn through the “villain paper” before beating, while others chopped it into pieces using knives.

After the beating, the villain beater swept “auspicious persons” placards over the customer, symbolizing the summoning of auspicious persons. Then she picked up a paper tiger and wiped it on a piece of blubber, symbolizing the feeding of the white tiger. The paper tiger was then burnt together with the auspicious persons placard, followed by the scattering of rice and green beans on the ground, to exorcise the “villain”. After performing the designated tasks, some villain beaters would cast divination blocks to forecast the future. If one block faced down and the other up, this indicates that the deities have heard the requests of the client; otherwise the blocks would be recasted after praying.

“Villain Beating” Hotspots

On the Insects Awakening Day, public engaged in “villain beating” can be seen in other old districts, for example the crossroads at Tai Ping Shan Street. Some temples also provide such service for believers. Extensive media coverage of the practice at Canal Road Flyover has turned it into a hotspot for “villain beating”. Many believers visit the place waiting for their turn, and media, the public and tourists also come to take photographs, turning the villain beaters into “performers” under limelight.

Public mindset

Although Hong Kong is a developed society, the custom of “villain beating” continues and becomes increasingly popular. Men and women make use of the service, many of whom are in their youth. Why do they pay (the current asking price at Canal Road Flyover is 50 Hong Kong dollars) the villain beater to perform the rite? What troubles do they expect to dispel? It is worth the further investigation by cultural researchers. Though some do question the actual effectiveness of “villain beating”, the chance for one to vent their discontent is believed to be psychologically therapeutic.