Kai Jiu Phenomenon

(Self-Mockery Intended: Outside this empty shops, the big hanging banner by the property owner says, "Bills are strictly forbidden. Any breach will be reported to the government departmentts for law enforcement." But it falls to intimidate. Some bills are even posted on the banner itself)

Kai Jiu in Cantonese means "bills in the street", and is a must-see for tourists on a photography trip if you ask me. Kai Jiu or, to be exact, Tip Kai Jiu (literally "posting bills in the street") has long been a cultural phenomenon in Hong Kong. To the locals, whether for seeking part-time working opportunities, finding lost pets or persons, selling goods or renting out properties, the first thing springing to mind is Tip Kai Jiu. Actually, the Tip Kai Jiu phenomenon has been so popular that it even informs the marketing tactics from the entertainment to loan sharking businesses. For promotion of new movies or albums, Tip Kai Jiu is a surefire, cheap way to draw attention. Likewise, it is the same for loan sharks touting business or fetching runaway debtors; for that matter, there is a common saying "Tip Nei Kai Jiu" (post a bill about you in the street) to make people budge. The saying comes in many variant forms like, "Do you want me to Tip Nei Kai Jiu?" Where to take photos of these bills? The most usual spots for posting bills are the external gates and walls of banks. There is a good reason for this. The shops in the street which close for business at the earliest time are banks. Empty business premises and street facilities like lamp posts are also easy targets for posting bill posters.

(This bill poster uses a rod to stick bills on a higher position on the shop gate. Bill posters are quick on their feet. For one moment, certain bills appear on a spot; for the next moment, they are superimposed by some other bills before you know it. Again, this photo proves the advantage of the small size of the GX200 and other serious compact. A big DSLR would have alerted the man prematurely. Besides this, Gx200 has an advantage with its smart implimentation of fast wheels to tweak settings)

Bill posters are hired to post bills during the non-office hours. To get the biggest bang from the bucks, they are sent to post bills at the busiest shopping districts, especially along Nathan Road. So, visit any of these districts in late evenings and early mornings to take photos. But Saturdays are the best time because banks are closed on Sundays, giving the bills the longest air time in a week.

Kai Jiu are so ubiquitous that they are considered a threat to public hygiene by the government. Tip Kai Jiu is subject to a fine of HK$1,500 (US$200), raised from $600 in 2003, which is on a par with those for spitting, littering and dog fouling. This comparison speaks volumes for the rampant Tip Kai Jiu activities. But the fine is yet to assume an even enormous scale to overwhelm the proliferation of Kai Jiu, not least under this inclement financial weather which brings more shops to their demise.

(Kai Jiu is a very good photography theme. The culture, the living and the spirit of a place can all be seen on the colourful posters. Go to the red light district along Portland Street in Mongkok and the very inspiring posts will keep you clicking the camera shutter)

Let's conclude the post with a useful tip for posting bills about lost pets in the street. Usually, people hiding the lost pets will be unwilling to return the pets for some reason: resale values of the pets for one thing; emotional attachment to the pets for another. If it is a dog which you sure knows its way home just in case, try writing on the bill that it is a chronically ill animal needing medication and that people who return it will be rewarded with money. It has worked for some people.