Unpopular pro-establishment Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip experienced a smashing start to the Year of the Sheep.
On Friday, the second day of the Lunar New Year, Ip and a group of government officials journeyed to Che Kung Miu temple in Sha Tin district to get a reading of Hong Kong’s fortune in the new year—an annual tradition.
As the group entered the temple, an energetic qilin mascot backed into Ip, sending her toppling backwards. Qilin, a mythical divine Chinese creature which resembles a cross between a dragon and a horse, is commonly translated as “unicorn” in English.
Ip was caught before hitting the ground, thanks to the quick reactions of people besides her. The qilin mascot reportedly disappeared into the crowd, according to Hong Kong and Taiwan newspaper Apple Daily.
“That qilin mascot really hit forcefully,” said Ip to Chinese language publication Ming Pao after the incident.
