Hongkongers and tourists from the mainland and Taiwan waited in long lines underneath Canal Road Flyover in Causeway Bay for “villain hitting” today (Mon) on Jingzhe, or called Insects Awakening, – the third of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendar.

The term Jingzhe refers to the awakening of hibernating insects as they are startled by the weather that is getting warmer, implying the approach of spring.

A woman surnamed Lee, who arrived at the "villain hitting" hot spot for the first time, hoped the ritual could disperse all "villains" in her life and wished for good health for the whole year.

A Sichuan tourist surnamed Qian said she came for “villain hitting” to comfort herself, hoping to resolve gossip surrounding her and a legal dispute.

Another tourist surnamed Chen from Dongguan said “villain hitting” has become an annual habit for him and all he wants is inner peace. He also wanted this tradition to be reserved.

In the meantime, a Taiwanese wife wore a smile after the ritual was performed.

“Great! The ‘villain’ has now been taken care of,” said the wife called Miky, who recently came to Hong Kong for work.

Miky went on to say that the “villain” was indeed the mistress of her husband. She added she didn't know much about this mistress in her 30s, and decided to leave the cursing to the professionals.

Mr. Wan, who has been in this profession for years, expected more tourists to visit him after the borders reopened. He added he has a great number of regular customers from the mainland, Malaysia and Taiwan, and stressed he would keep the price of his services the same because of the border reopening.

Another beater surnamed Wong said she observed a 30 percent jump from last year’s businesses, believing it has something to do with the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, an assistant to one beater said the ritual is a behavior to protect one self, instead of cursing someone with ill-intent.