Flying Kites to Escape Bad Luck
In Hong Kong, superstition holds a central place in everyday life. Regardless of the occasion, superstitious beliefs are invariably tied to it in one way or another. These beliefs have given birth to traditional rituals that are still observed to this day. One such ritual is directly tied to the Chung Yeung Festival—also known as the Double-Nine Festival—which is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar.
This traditional Chinese holiday is celebrated to honour ancestors, ward off ill fortune, and show respect for the elderly. In traditional Chinese numerology, the number nine represents yang (masculine, positive, or active energy). A day with two nines creates a powerful "double yang" presence. Historically, this convergence was viewed as a highly auspicious but potentially volatile time, one prone to hidden dangers and bad luck, prompting families to take protective spiritual measures.
One such measure revolves around the concept of Fang Hui Qi (放晦气), which literally translates to "releasing bad luck". According to ancient tradition, kites act as symbolic vessels for negativity. People would write their worries, names, illnesses, or troubles directly onto the kite. Once the kite soared high into the sky, the flier would intentionally snip the string. As the kite drifted away into the clouds, it was believed to carry all of the family’s misfortunes, bad energy, and bad luck with it, ensuring they would never return.
Although the tradition is still observed by some Hongkongers to this day, they rarely snip the strings of their kites, choosing instead to let the wind symbolically “blow” away the bad luck.
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