Thousands of locals and tourists thronged Causeway Bay yesterday to participate in the age-old tradition of "villain-hitting day."

Around 200 people were spotted queuing up at booths beneath the Canal Road flyover, eagerly awaiting their turn to "hit the villain," or da siu yan.

The event coincides with "insects awakening day," the start of one of the 24 terms under the traditional Chinese solar calendar. On this auspicious day, people engage in villain-hitting rituals to ward off evil spirits and misfortune.

"Insects awakening day" marks the transition from winter to spring and the sounds of thunder rouses dormant insects from their slumber.

Police kept a watch on proceedings yesterday amid a slow procession of half an hour to two hours that required patience from those waiting to get their "hits on little people."

One practitioner said business has significantly improved since life returned to normal after the pandemic, but that no one had asked for a "hit" on government officials.

A woman in the queue, Yuen, shared her reason for wanting a ritual, saying, "People still owe me money even though they have enough for themselves. I arrived early to be the first one because I heard that it is more effective to come early. When asked if 'villain-hitting' is useful, I would say it gives me a sense of comfort."

A man, Cheung, who said he had been coming every year for over a decade, felt this year's numbers were down because more people are traveling abroad.

A tourist, Carmen, said: "We are making some videos, which is nice. But we just want to observe the activity at a distance, without getting too close or sitting down to give it a try."

Her lack of patronage notwithstanding, practitioners were kept busy throughout the day, leading one of them to say that the period before and after "insects awakening day" is peak season for them.

She also said business is flourishing compared to during the pandemic.

"People mostly want a 'hit' on small people over work concerns or villains in general. Hardly anyone comes to 'hit' officials," she said, adding that the fee remains unchanged at HK$50 to ensure affordability.

Others visited temples on this day for the Kwun Yum Treasury Opening ceremony.

In this ritual, the "treasury" is opened in 16 temples. Once a year, people visit these temples to seek good fortune by borrowing imaginary money from Kwun Yum through lucky draws.

As part of their temple visit, they make incense offerings and bring flowers or fruits as offerings.

Loans ranging from HK$3 million to HK$1 billion are symbolically granted to participants.

Many beat path to 'payback for villains'