Mock Monk

In Hong Kong, anything can be faked.

It goes way beyond copy watches and designer handbags; even phony medicines have been found on store shelves.

We even have bogus Buddhist monks. Mostly imports from mainland China, men with shaved heads don robes and beads and ring a brass bowl or hand out little red cards to pedestrians in hope of receiving donations.

But Hong Kong's real Buddhist monks and nuns don't have to panhandle; they're well looked after in their monasteries and their work doesn't include begging. Unwary tourists have no idea that they're handing over cash to a man who later will switch to ordinary clothing for the trip back to China, all the while laughing at all the suckers he fleeced.

Should you encounter one of these charlatans on the street, pull out your camera: he'll turn around and head the other direction, which is a sure sign he's a fraud.

But don't congratulate yourself on your good luck, or you might attract one of these clowns.

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