Hong Kong Government Lunar New Year kau chim tradition explained

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

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.^[1]

Results

width=5%	Year of the	width=5%	Time frame	width=5%	Stick drawer	width=5%	Stick number	width=10%	Result
	15 Feb 1991 3 Feb 1992
	4 Feb 1992 22 Jan 1993		27	Bad
	23 Jan 1993 9 Feb 1994
	10 Feb 1994 30 Jan 1995
	31 Jan 1995 18 Feb 1996		61
	19 Feb 1996 6 Feb 1997		70
	7 Feb 1997 27 Jan 1998		81
	28 Jan 1998 15 Feb 1999		37
	16 Feb 1999 4 Feb 2000	Lui Hau-tuen	34
	5 Feb 2000 23 Jan 2001	Lui Hau-tuen	91
	24 Jan 2001 11 Feb 2002	Lui Hau-tuen	30
	12 Feb 2002 31 Jan 2003	Lui Hau-tuen	38
	1 Feb 2003 21 Jan 2004		83	Bad^[2]
	22 Jan 2004 8 Feb 2005		76	Mid^[3]
	9 Feb 2005 28 Jan 2006		53	Mid^[4]
	29 Jan 2006 17 Feb 2007		75	Good^[5] ^[6]
	18 Feb 2007 6 Feb 2008		36	Mid^[7]
	7 Feb 2008 25 Jan 2009		60	Good^[8]
	26 Jan 2009 13 Feb 2010		27	Bad^[9] ^[10]
	14 Feb 2010 2 Feb 2011		53	Mid^[11]
	3 Feb 2011 22 Jan 2012		11	Mid^[12]
	23 Jan 2012 09 Feb 2013		29	Mid^[13] ^[14]
	10 Feb 2013 30 Jan 2014		95	Bad
Horse	31 Jan 201418 Feb 2015	Lau Wong-fat	4	Mid
Goat	19 Feb 20157 Feb 2016	Lau Wong-fat	20	Mid
Monkey	8 Feb 201627 Jan 2017	Kenneth Lau	72	Good
Rooster	28 Jan 201715 Feb 2018	Kenneth Lau	61	Mid
Dog	16 Feb 20184 Feb 2019	Kenneth Lau	21/41	Mid
Pig	5 Feb 201924 Jan 2020	Kenneth Lau	86	Mid
Rat	25 Jan 202011 Feb 2021	Kenneth Lau	92	Mid

See also

• Chinese spiritual world concepts
• Dajiao
• Jiaobei
• Tai Sui
• Timeline of Hong Kong history
• Tung Shing

Notes and References

1. 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.
2. South China Morning Post. "SCMP archive." Kuk chief vows to continue tradition. Retrieved on 2009-01-28.
3. Sun.on.cc. "Sun.on.cc." 求籤何需講手氣. Retrieved on 2010-02-16.
4. Singpao.com. "Singpao.com ." 籤解先難後易　還看市民努力. Retrieved on 2010-02-16.
5. RTHK.org.hk. "RTHK." 劉皇發為香港求得上籤感到開心. Retrieved on 2010-02-16.
6. 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.
7. on.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.
8. Sina.com. "Sina.com ." 港求得上籤今年繼續旺 2008年2月9日. Retrieved on 2010-02-16.
9. South China Morning Post. "SCMP." Life looking better for Year of the Tiger. Retrieved on 2010-02-16.
10. 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.
11. HKheadline.com. "HKheadline.com." 劉皇發為港求得「有求必應」中籤. Retrieved on 2010-02-15.
12. HKheadline.com. "HKheadline.com." 劉皇發求中籤經濟有好有壞. Retrieved on 2011-02-10.
13. HKheadline.com. "HK Standard." Retrieved on 2012-01-26.
14. Web site: 中國評論新聞：劉皇發為香港求得中籤 稱寓意特首選舉 . www.chinareviewnews.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305055926/http://www.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/8/9/6/101989640.html?coluid=176&kindid=0&docid=101989640&mdate=0124103332 . 2016-03-05.