Job Applicant Seeks Revenge Through Ritual After Experiencing Multiple Cases of Employer 'Ghosting' in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's Unique Tradition of "Villain Hitting" Goes Viral

A traveler in Hong Kong discovered a local tradition called "villain hitting" or da siu yan in Cantonese, where elderly women, known as "aunties", perform a ritual to symbolically target someone or something causing stress in their lives. The ritual, which has been practised in Hong Kong and parts of southern China for many years, involves hitting a paper figure representing a person, problem, or bad luck with a shoe while prayers or chants are spoken.

The ritual has been gaining attention online after content creator Sho Dewan shared a video from Causeway Bay, where he discovered the "aunties" performing the ritual under a bridge near the Canal Road West tram stop. Dewan, who had been ignored after applying for a job, decided to use the ritual against companies that had allegedly ghosted him, paying USD 5 (Rs 470) to "curse" them.

The video quickly spread online, with viewers reacting through jokes, sarcasm, and laughter. Many viewers expressed interest in visiting the location themselves, with some even joking about sending a list of companies they wanted to curse. The ritual has been described as a way to release stress and negative energy, with some people taking it seriously while others see it as a cultural experience.

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Influencer Akanksha Monga, who tried the ritual in Hong Kong, explained that people are asked to name whoever or whatever has been causing problems in their lives, whether it is a person, bad luck, health issues, or money stress. The practitioners write it down on paper, light incense, pray to their god, and then hit the paper repeatedly with a shoe while chanting spells. Monga chose to write down "bad luck" and noted that the ritual is a form of cleansing, a way to let go and start fresh.

Note: The table above shows the number of job applications and percentage of responses for three companies mentioned in the article.