7 interesting beliefs and ceremonies that exist in Hong Kong

Before reading these things, it is not bad to know that these beliefs and ceremonies, despite having Chinese roots in China itself, are weak and sometimes completely removed from the public level. The reason for this is due to the laws that the current Chinese government has implemented to prevent the spread of superstitions. For example, when the promotion of feng shui thought was banned in China, many professors of this school migrated to Hong Kong.

Khao Chim, divining sticks

Astrology and fortune-telling through various elements are an inseparable part of Far Asian culture. In Hong Kong, there is a ceremony called kau chim (kau chim), which is performed in Taoist and Buddhist temples. During this ceremony, which is also known as fortune-telling poetry, diviners fill containers with wood. Bamboo sticks with numbers from 1 to 100 written on them. Then these sticks are given to the lottery applicant. The applicant starts to rotate the container and this continues until a piece of wood falls to the ground. When this wood falls, soothsayers begin to predict the person’s future.

Numbers that are beyond the prime

In Khao Chim, we said that numbers are written on bamboo sticks. These numbers have a direct impact on prediction. For example, if the number 4 falls from the container to the ground, fortune tellers do not foresee a good future for the participants. Not only 4, but any number that contains the digit 4; Like 14 or 44 in Hong Kong (and some East Asian countries), it is known as an unlucky number.

This issue is so serious that buildings in Hong Kong completely replace the name of the fourth floor with another number or character, in some hotels and hospitals there are no rooms 40 to 49, and even in the elevator, the fourth floor may be defined with another number. has been. The main reason for this is because of the pronunciation of the number 4. In China, Hong Kong, Japan, etc., the pronunciation of the number 4 is the same as the pronunciation of the word death. Tetraphobia (fear of the number 4) is one of the most common phobias in Hong Kong.

Don’t forget your loved ones

In Hong Kong culture, respect for ancestors and family is of great importance so that these departed ones will have the ability to change the life path and good and evil of their descendants, and on the other hand, the descendants can also change the life after the death of their ancestors. For this reason, when one of the elders of the family dies, other members hold a special ceremony to appease his soul. For example, children who had a poor father after his death burn various things that will be rich in the world after death.

In Hong Kong, Feng Shui is a way of life

Did you know that no city in the world has as many skyscrapers as Hong Kong? More precisely, there are more than 480 skyscrapers in this land, which is even more than the sum of the skyscrapers of the two developed cities of New York and Chicago. But what does this have to do with the specific culture and customs of Hong Kong?

This issue becomes relevant when we pay attention to the arrangement and architecture of Hong Kong’s skyscrapers. Because most skyscrapers in the center of the city are considered Han Feng Shui buildings. Feng shui literally means water and wind and is a kind of Chinese art and philosophy in which objects and structures such as buildings are made in such a way that they have the greatest impact on people’s health and mentality. To the extent that we even come across forests that are formed based on Feng Shui!

Feed the hungry souls of the dead

Hongkongers believe that on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the dead return to the world from the land of the dead for one day. But contrary to the scary appearance of this belief, Hong Kongers spend this day with celebration and joy. In this festival, they go to the park or public spaces and start burning incense and paper objects, sing local music and leave food for the dead on the side of the street.

Repelling calamity by building a shrine

Apart from the floors where the number 4 may be missing, another special thing that can be seen in most Hong Kong houses and apartments is the small shrines that are installed inside the entrance of the apartments and outside the doors of the house. This shrine belongs to a goddess named Tu Di Gong. According to the Hong Kong people, the installation of Tudgong shrine removes negative energy and spirits from the house and brings blessings to the houses. Of course, the installation of Todigong shrines is not limited to houses and can be seen in many shops in Hong Kong.

Traces of East and West in Hongkongers’ beliefs

For 150 years, Hong Kong was colonized by the British and various ideas were injected into their land, which can still be seen in their daily life. For example, Hong Kong people avoid walking under ladders, because they believe that doing so will bring bad luck. A belief that has a western origin and is considered to be the influence of the British in Hong Kong. On the other hand, you will not see a Hong Kong person giving someone a wall clock, including a hand clock. This belief has Chinese roots and the meaning of this work is that the recipient will arrive in haste.