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SCMP Reporter

Hongkongers who  line up for 'loans' from the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin, or ask old ladies to beat paper effigies of their enemies with shoes are distorting the true meanings of two ancient rituals, according to an expert on local customs.
The act of seeking and returning a lucky 'loan' during Kuan Yin festivals was originally meant to emphasise honesty, said Roger Ho Yao-sheng,  executive director of the Conservancy Association's  Centre for Heritage.
And the practice of da siu yan - literally meaning to beat a petty person - was designed to drive away evil and illness, he said.
But Hongkongers who took part in such rituals were missing the point, Mr Ho said.
He said these examples showed a need to  preserve the city's intangible heritage and historical buildings.
'The stories behind the buildings are important,'  Mr Ho said. 'But culture and civilisation have been overlooked.'
Mr Ho is curator of an exhibition showcasing local customs and rituals at the Centre for Heritage in Sai Ying Pun  until March 29.
He said local customs brought communities and neighbourhoods together to create social harmony, but many of their true meanings and practices had been distorted, so the preservation of buildings and related customs should go together.
Mr Ho said Hongkongers had become too money-conscious and paid more attention to traditions that would grant them economic benefits,  such as seeking 'loans' from Kuan Yin for better luck.
Participants believe that the bigger the 'loan', the better their luck will be during the year.
He said the true meaning  was a lesson in honesty, but most people worshipped only for better luck.
Likewise, da siu yan,  carried out under the Canal Road flyover in Wan Chai, was 'not about beating the person, but about beating the evil and sickness away from you'.
'A lot of people see these traditions as superstitions, and overlook the true meaning and education behind  them,' Mr Ho said.



Ancient rituals distorted in materialistic age,  expert says