Sat, Mar 06, 2004 page16

• The witches of Goose Neck Bridge in HK

  Hong Kong is known for its modernity and skyscrapers. But in the shadows, under the overpasses, lurk old women chanting spells

  • AFP
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  Among the grime and litter beneath a noisy Hong Kong overpass lurk dark forces.

  Three old women sit among cardboard boxes painted an eerie red, pounding at human-shaped pieces of paper with old shoes.

  As the flames of candles flicked around the disquieting scene and the smoke of joss-sticks swirled conspiratorially, the three muttered a relentless mantra: "Evil spirits go away, evil spirits go away."

  These are the so-called witches of Goose Neck Bridge, and for a price they will put a spell on anyone you want cursed.

  "You can't not believe these things -- a lot of things can bring you bad luck," said housewife Maggie Chu, 40, one of the witches' most regular customers who has paid to have curses placed on two foes, a busybody girlfriend who lives in Japan and an "immoral" neighbor who walks around in his underwear.

  "I come here almost every year. You see, I didn't come last year, and I fell ill and now I've got a toothache," Chu said.

  Business is brisk for the old ladies, especially on "Ching Chih" Friday, which fell on March 5 [yesterday] this year.

  That was the day in the Chinese traditional calendar that marked the end of winter and start of spring, when dormant insects and animals awake. It's also the best day to cast spells.

  Local legend has it that on Ching Chih the "white tiger" -- an unlucky Chinese god -- is disturbed from his hibernation and begins the hunt for food.

  "Beating the petty person," as the witches' ritual is called, seeks to tame the tiger or direct it towards other people.

  While spell-casting is a subject not openly discussed, a surprising number of young, professional people -- some superstitious, others not -- flock to the shabby spot under the Canal Road overpass in the dingier part of the Causeway Bay district to ensure better luck for the year ahead.

  "Petty people could be friends who gossip behind your back, work colleagues who block you from furthering your career, an unfaithful husband or an evil force that causes accidents, poor health or general bad luck," explained Cheung Siu-Wai Cheung, a tutor in the Chinese Civilisation Centre at the City University of Hong Kong.

  Housewife Chu traveled two hours from the suburb of Yuen Long to ask for good wishes from the witches.

  She and her daughter were invited by one of the women, 83-year-old Leung Kampo, to sit on a small red stool before the ritual began.

  Leung placed two statues of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, on one side and a stack of colorful spell papers on the other. Each spell-casting session lasts about 10 minutes and costs HK$40 (US$5).

  "I would like to cast spells on a few people. Is it going to be cheaper?" Chu asked, seeking a bargain, another Hong Kong tradition.

  Although she failed to get a discount, she started to name the first recipient of her spell -- her husband. But she didn't want him cursed, just protected from the so-called "petty people."

  Leung first lit some incense and bright red candles. She then took out a piece of spell paper, placed it on a brick and started slapping it with an old shoe.

  The harder Leung hit, the more pain her victims would feel, Chu said. It also works better if the victim's name and address are written on the paper.

  After a few minutes, Leung placed the battered spell paper underneath a tiger-shaped piece of yellow paper, and brushed it on a piece of pork fat.

  This part of the ritual represents a "gift" of food to satiate the "frightening" tiger so it will not hurt anyone.

  The pieces of paper were then burned together, ensuring that bad luck and the bad people went away with the fire.

  After this, the goddesses had to be rewarded for their work and so another pack of papers containing fake money, silver and other goodies was burned. Finally rice was scattered and the ritual carried out twice more.

  Cheung of City University said the witches do not have specific skills and that anyone could carry out the rituals with the right tools.

  So why do business in the dark corners under an overpass? "It is seen as a dirty and dangerous place -- an ideal place for evil to hide," Cheung said.

  But does it work?

  "I don't know. But I always feel better afterwards," said housewife Chu.

  Leung has been making a living doing this for 10 years, since her husband died.

  However, there's one big drawback in her job: superstition says the longer she stays in the business, the more bad luck will fall on her.

  "Life is hard," said the soft-spoken Leung. "A lot of my friends have told me not to continue with the job but I have no choice."
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