Lightly dust the inside of the chicken with 1/2 tsp of five spice powder and salt. Be generous with the salt.
In a large bowl combine the light and dark soy sauce, ginger, sugar and the five spice powder. Coat the chicken with this mixture and make sure to rub it into the skin. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours. (Preferably overnight)
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Drain the chicken of the marinade and set it on a roasting pan with a rack to allow for the heat to flow around and under the chicken. Do not discard the marinade. See the next step to make the glaze.
If using a thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the chicken. I usually insert the probe into the thickest part of the breast.
Over low heat, bring the reserved marinade from the chicken to a boil and simmer it for about 5 minutes or so until slightly reduced.
Add the maple syrup or honey and cook until further reduced and syrupy in consistency.
Pre-heat the oven to 350F (177C) and place the roasting pan with the chicken in the centre of the oven.
Baste the chicken with the rendered fat from the chicken once every 20-30 mins.
After about an hour or when the internal temperature hits 145F baste with the glaze. Be careful and watch the chicken closely as the glaze can tend to burn and give the chicken an overly dark appearance.
Remove chicken when the temperature hits 155F(68C), which is about 1 hour and 30 minutes of cooking. The time is only a guide as final cooking time will depend on your oven and the size of your chicken.
Once the chicken hits 155F remove from the oven and cover loosely with oil. Let rest for 15-20 minutes. Do not pull the probe out. At this point, the chicken will continue to cook and the temperature will continue to rise.
After 15- 20 minutes, carve the chicken and place it onto a platter. Serve along with steamed buns and a vegetable of your choice. I usually serve it with steamed broccoli. You can drizzle any remaining basting sauce on the chicken once you have it arranged on the serving platter.