Hong Kong Snapshot (9) – Villain Hitting – “Best of Asia” in TIME Magazine 香港隨拍(9) – 時代雜誌《亞洲最佳事物》 – 打小人

這條是我幾乎每天都經過的街道，每天走到這裡，都見到一些老婆婆在用鞋打一張一張的紙張，這是打小人，這項傳統習俗已被香港政府列為非物質文化遺產的申請名單，更被時代雜誌選為2009年亞洲最佳事物的香港代表！
The road is the road I pass every day. Every day I see some old ladies hit a paper using a shoe. This is called Villain hitting (also called petty person beating). Villain hitting is already in the list of the HK Government to apply the Intangible Cultural Heritage. It was also selected as “Best Way to Get It Off Your Chest” in TIME magazine’s 2009 “Best of Asia” feature.

打小人是香港驅除霉運的習俗，「小人」是指一些挑撥離間、搬弄是非的人，同時也可指惡運、不如意。如果你身邊有個壞老闆、壞朋友、或你的老公有「小三」，你都可以把他的名字寫在小人紙上，把他「打走」。
Villain hitting is one of the HK traditional custom. Villain means bad people, and also bad luck in Chinese. If you have a bad boss, bad friend, or your husband has the other woman, you can write their name on a fulu, and “hit” them out.

寫上他的名字，打死他！
Write down their name, and beat them!

打你個死人頭，打到你有氣無得透
(translation) Beat your head! Beat till you can’t breath!

「打小人」的婆婆叫打手，他們更是有商業登記！
The “hitters” are under business registration!

打小人源於中國的二十四節氣之一的「驚蟄」，相傳每年的驚蟄，天空會打旱雷，並將冬眠中的蛇蟲鼠蟻驚醒過來，而其中，中國兇神之一的「白虎」和「小人」都會醒過來，威脅人民安全。於是廣東一帶的人都會在「驚蟄」「祭白虎」及「打小人」，驅走害物，祈求平安。
The original of villain hitting comes from Jingzhe, 1 of the 24 solar terms in traditional China (around early Spring). It was said that in the day of Jingzhe, there was dry thunderstorm and wake the sleeping monsters up, including “Bai Hu (White Tiger) – God of Fierce” and villain, threatening the life of people. So People liked to “Sacrifice to Bai Hu” and “Villain hitting” during the day to ask for peace.

三隻白虎放在桌上
Three Bai Hu on the table

手工精細
Really Nice hand work!

豬肉祭白虎，白虎吃飽後就不會害人
Pork on Bai Hu (White Tiger). It is believed that Bai Hu won’t kill people after they are full with pork.

打完小人，就要燒掉白虎
After villain hitting, we need to burn the Bai Hu

到了今日，現代人知識水平提高，但仍有不少人「打小人」。他們當然不會相信真的會把「小三」打走，但打小人已成為一種宣洩心中不滿的方式，藉以排解心中的壓力和不快。
Nowadays, the overall level of knowledge of HK people is much higher. But HK people still like “villain hitting”. Of course, they now don’t believe that they can really hit the villain out. But they take it as a way to drain, and to release they stress, pressure and dissatisfied.

香港的打小人活動集中於銅鑼灣的鵝頸橋底，因為鵝頸橋為三叉路口位，相傳三叉路口煞氣大，可以克制小人、叉傷小人。不要小看打小人啊，每年的驚蟄一到，鵝頸橋即人山人海，不少年輕人都會來打小人，台灣及內地更會有「打小人團」來港打小人！
Most “villain hitting” activities are at the Canal Road in Causeway Bay. The road is a three-way crossroad. It was believed that the evil spirit is strong at three-way crossroad and can “hit” the villain. Don’t look down on villain hitting! When Jingzhe comes, there will be a lot of people at Canal Road to “hit” the villain. In Taiwan and China, there are even “villain hitting trip” to Canal Road!

眼前這條行車天橋就是鵝頸橋，旁邊就是名店Tiffany & Co 及時代廣場，你很難想像在一個國際化商場旁邊就有那麼傳統的事物。
This road under this flyover is the Canal Road. On the side is Tiffany & Co. and Times Square. You can’t imagine there is such a traditional thing beside an international shopping mall.

每年驚蟄，鵝頸橋就人山人海！
Lot of people in Canal Road during Jingzhe!

我在網上找了一段打小人完整過程的片段 I have found a clip in the web about the process of “Villain Hitting”.

現時打小人價錢約為港幣$50 - $200不等，如果你身邊也有小人，不妨來打一打！
The fee of villain hitting now is around HKD$50 - $200. If you have villain around you, come and hit!

Hong Kong Snapshot(8) – A journey of Hong Kong Tramways 香港隨影(8) – 香港電車之旅

Hong Kong Snapshot (7) – Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong and Leslie Cheung – One of the greatest Chinese actor and singer at all time 香港隨拍(7) – 香港文華東方酒店及張國榮 – 華人史上最偉大的演唱及歌手之一

Hong Kong Snapshot (6) – World longest outdoor covered escalator system 香港隨拍(6) – 全球最長戶外有蓋行人扶手電梯

香港隨拍(5) – 無綫電視TVB與香港電視業的衰落

Hong Kong Snapshot (4) – Apliu Street, Men’s Heaven 香港隨拍(4) – 鴨寮街，男人的天堂

Hong Kong Snapshot (3) – Tai Ping Koon Restaurant & Swiss Wing – The First Western Restaurant opened by Chinese 香港隨拍(3) – 太平館餐廳及 瑞士雞翼 – 第一家中國人開設的西餐廳

Hong Kong Snapshot (2) – Goldfinch Restaurant And “In the Mood of Love” 香港隨拍(2) – 金雀餐廳與花樣年華

Hong Kong Snapshot (1) – St. Mary Church and Space Invaders, French famous urban artist 香港隨拍(1) – 聖馬利亞堂及法國街頭藝術家Space Invaders

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