In each year's Chinese New Year celebrations in Hong Kong, a member of the Hong Kong Government represents the city in a divination ritual called kau chim. The event takes place on the second day of the Lunar New Year at Che Kung temple, Sha Tin, where a fortune stick is drawn. The luck of the city for that upcoming Lunar year will be foretold by the message on the fortune stick. The message is written in the form of classical Chinese poetry and is then interpreted by a Feng shui sifu or fortune teller.
Tradition The Hong Kong Government Lunar New Year kau chim tradition is an annual divination ritual associated with the Lunar New Year celebrations in Hong Kong. The tradition takes place on the second day of the Lunar New Year at Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin, where a representative draws a fortune stick on behalf of Hong Kong. The verse on the fortune stick is traditionally interpreted as an indication of the city's prospects for the coming year. Usually one stick is drawn for the fortune of the city by a main representative person. Other sticks may be drawn for smaller community divinations. There are five categories of stick fortunes, from good (上), to mid (中), to bad (下). Each level also has internal degrees. For example, stick #27 is unlucky. It relates to the story of Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of the Qin dynasty, who built the Great Wall of China and sparked widespread opposition among his people.South China Morning Post. "SCMP archive." City urged to unite despite fortune stick's bad omen Sha Tin temple ceremony predicts year of disharmony. Retrieved on 2009-01-28.
Che Kung Temple has a longstanding association with Lunar New Year worship in Hong Kong. The exact date of the temple's construction is unknown, but its earliest recorded renovation dates to 1890. According to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the temple is associated with Che Kung, a Southern Song general who was believed to have the ability to drive away plagues. The temple attracts large numbers of worshippers seeking blessings, particularly during the second and third days of the first lunar month.
History and public role The practice of drawing a fortune stick on behalf of Hong Kong dates back to at least the 1980s, when government officials or public officers participated in the Lunar New Year ritual at Che Kung Temple. The practice was initially conducted by officials from the colonial government and later continued after the 1997 handover. In 2003, then Secretary for Home Affairs Ho Chi-ping drew fortune stick No. 83, which was classified as an inauspicious fortune. The result attracted considerable public attention because it coincided with the outbreak of SARS and a period of political and social controversy in Hong Kong. From 2004 onward, the Hong Kong Government stopped appointing a government official to perform the ritual, and the chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk instead became the person who traditionally draws the fortune stick on behalf of Hong Kong. The ritual subsequently became a prominent Lunar New Year public event, with the interpretation of the fortune stick receiving coverage in Hong Kong media. The Chinese Temples Committee also identifies the second day of the Lunar New Year as the occasion when the Sha Tin Rural Committee conducts its annual kau chim ceremony at Che Kung Temple.
Results Year of the Timeframe Stickdrawer Sticknumber Result Goat 15 Feb 19913 Feb 1992 Monkey 4 Feb 199222 Jan 1993 27 Bad Rooster 23 Jan 19939 Feb 1994 Dog 10 Feb 199430 Jan 1995 Pig 31 Jan 199518 Feb 1996 61 Rat 19 Feb 19966 Feb 1997 70 Ox 7 Feb 1997 27 Jan 1998 81 Tiger 28 Jan 199815 Feb 1999 37 Rabbit 16 Feb 19994 Feb 2000 Lui Hau-tuen 34 Dragon 5 Feb 200023 Jan 2001 Lui Hau-tuen 91 Snake 24 Jan 200111 Feb 2002 Lui Hau-tuen 30 Horse 12 Feb 200231 Jan 2003 Lui Hau-tuen 38 Goat 1 Feb 200321 Jan 2004 Patrick Ho Chi-ping 83 BadSouth China Morning Post. "SCMP archive." Kuk chief vows to continue tradition. Retrieved on 2009-01-28. Monkey 22 Jan 20048 Feb 2005 Lau Wong-fat 76 MidSun.on.cc. "Sun.on.cc." 求籤何需講手氣. Retrieved on 2010-02-16. Rooster 9 Feb 200528 Jan 2006 Lau Wong-fat 53 MidSingpao.com. "Singpao.com ." 籤解先難後易 還看市民努力. Retrieved on 2010-02-16. Dog 29 Jan 200617 Feb 2007 Lau Wong-fat 75 GoodRTHK.org.hk. "RTHK." 劉皇發為香港求得上籤感到開心. Retrieved on 2010-02-16.RTHK.org.hk. "RTHK." 劉皇發與官員到車公廟為香港求得上籤. Retrieved on 2010-02-16. Pig 18 Feb 20076 Feb 2008 Lau Wong-fat 36 Midon.cc "The Sun." 劉皇發為港祈福 須齊心創新景象 車公中籤暗喻防股海揚波. Retrieved on 2013-02-11. Rat 7 Feb 200825 Jan 2009 Lau Wong-fat 60 GoodSina.com. "Sina.com ." 港求得上籤今年繼續旺 2008年2月9日. Retrieved on 2010-02-16. Ox 26 Jan 200913 Feb 2010 Lau Wong-fat 27 BadSouth China Morning Post. "SCMP." Life looking better for Year of the Tiger. Retrieved on 2010-02-16.South China Morning Post. "SCMP archive." Short straw dims New Year glow. Fortune stick predicts worst luck for HK, and hours later fireworks barge catches fire.. Retrieved on 2009-01-28. Tiger 14 Feb 20102 Feb 2011 Lau Wong-fat 53 MidHKheadline.com. "HKheadline.com." 劉皇發為港求得「有求必應」中籤. Retrieved on 2010-02-15. Rabbit 3 Feb 201122 Jan 2012 Lau Wong-fat 11 MidHKheadline.com. "HKheadline.com." 劉皇發求中籤經濟有好有壞. Retrieved on 2011-02-10. Dragon 23 Jan 201209 Feb 2013 Lau Wong-fat 29 MidHKheadline.com. "." Retrieved on 2012-01-26. Snake 10 Feb 201330 Jan 2014 Lau Wong-fat 95 BadHorse31 Jan 2014 18 Feb 2015Lau Wong-fat4MidGoat19 Feb 2015 7 Feb 2016Lau Wong-fat20MidMonkey8 Feb 2016 27 Jan 2017Kenneth Lau72GoodRooster28 Jan 2017 15 Feb 2018Kenneth Lau61MidDog16 Feb 2018 4 Feb 2019Kenneth Lau21/41MidPig5 Feb 2019 24 Jan 2020Kenneth Lau86MidRat25 Jan 2020 11 Feb 2021Kenneth Lau92Mid
See also Chinese spiritual world concepts Dajiao Jiaobei Tai Sui Timeline of Hong Kong history Tung Shing
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