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Villain hitting | |||||||||||||
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![]() An example of a villain hitter and her client under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong | |||||||||||||
Chinese | 打小人 | ||||||||||||
Literal meaning | striking little people | ||||||||||||
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Villain hitting, da siu yan (Chinese: 打小人), demon exorcising,[1] or petty person beating,[2][3] is a folk sorcery popular in the Guangdong area of China and Hong Kong—primarily associated with Cantonese. Its purpose is to curse one's enemies using magic. Villain hitting is often considered a humble career, and the ceremony is often performed by older ladies, though some shops sell "DIY" kits.
Villain hitting has been preliminarily included in the list of "intangible cultural heritage" by the Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau, and was selected as "Best Way to Get It Off Your Chest" in TIME magazine's 2009 "Best of Asia" feature.[4]