What is villain hitting? Unusual ritual lets you curse enemies for only Rs 450

In the ritual, clients hit a target’s image with a shoe to release bad moods. (Image credit: Louise Delmotte/AP Photo, Instagram/@aakanksha.monga)

• Villain hitting: Hong Kong ritual to banish bad luck
• Elderly women use shoes to slap papers with enemies' names
• The ritual costs about $5 and is popular under Canal Road Flyover

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While accusations of black magic often spread quickly in India, in the bustling streets of Hong Kong, frustrations often find an unusual outlet. Known as da siu yan locally, or “villain hitting, the tradition has existed for centuries. Elderly women use a slipper to symbolically beat away anger directed at an unfaithful partner, bosses, relatives or even misfortune itself.

On February 16, travel blogger Akanksha Monga shared her personal experience with one of Hong Kong’s most unusual customs on Instagram. “So I got my enemy cursed with a SHOE in Hong Kong. No, I’m serious,” she wrote.

The bizarre custom takes place under the Canal Road Flyover in Causeway Bay, where mostly elderly women set up small stalls to perform rituals that symbolically banish enemies, misfortune, and negative energy. The ritual is both simple and theatrical.

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A post shared by Aakanksha Monga (@aakanksha.monga)

You tell them who or what’s been causing problems in your life…..could be a person, could be bad luck, health issues, money stress, whatever, Monga said in her Instagram post, adding “they write it down on paper, light some incense, pray to their god, and then SLAP that paper with a shoe over and over while chanting spells to curse it away some people even bring their own shoes for extra impact.”

Monga didn’t use the ritual for revenge; she wrote down “bad luck” instead. “Sometimes you just need to release the energy that’s been weighing you down,” she said. “It’s actually a form of cleansing, a way to let go and start fresh. And honestly, I think that’s beautiful.”

What's the price? 

Lifestyle blogger Karen Louie shared her experience in a February 13 Instagram post that anyone can curse their enemies in Hong Kong for only $5 USD (roughly Rs 450). “FYI: I didn’t do it because I believe in karma too much,” she said.

Karen adds that those curious can visit 1 Canal Road East, Bowrington, Hong Kong, to see the ritual firsthand and experience one of the city’s most unusual folk traditions.

How do locals perform the ritual?

The South China Morning Post reports that Chinese superstitions include practices like feng shui, fortune-telling, and the unusual ritual of da siu yan, or “villain hitting.” Participants are required to write names and dates on paper, strike it with a shoe, and burn it. While it may sound dark, the ritual is mostly symbolic. The term siu yan, meaning “little person,” is used to represent a “villain,” though the label is more figurative than literal.