Up in smoke
Au Yeung is the second generation of his family involved in the paper effigy business,although the Sham Shui Po store he now runs has only been open since 2007 (his fatherrelocated from Hung Hom about 30 years ago).
Back then it was common to see families in Hong Kong and across the rest of Chinaburning paper offerings in passageways between residential buildings or on the roadside,particularly during Ghost Festival, which is in the seventh month of the lunar calendar,and Qing Ming Festival, also known as Tomb-sweeping Festival.
These rituals have been practiced since ancient times and many people believe that theburned paper effigies (traditionally money) will help loved ones in the afterlife.
However, people today are growing more concerned about the environment and thetradition is less commonly seen. Critics say the smoke from incense and paper offeringscreates air pollution, while others argue it is simply a waste of paper.
“Environmental concerns have had an effect on our business,” said Au Yeung. “Peopleare burning less.”
Although there are no regulations in Hong Kong that restrict burning paper offeringsindoor, a growing number of property management companies have banned tenants frompracticing the ritual in most public and private residential blocks, as well as all newly builtproperties.
“Offering paper effigies is the best tradition in the Chinese culture,” said ChengMing-leung, chairman of the Chinese Paper Merchants Association.
He said he is confident the precious tradition can be saved and recommended that,if today’s luxurious properties do not allow the practice, people should go to temples andsanctuaries that have incineration facilities.
Online push
Despite the struggles faced by theindustry, many ming zhi pu are boostingtheir businesses online.
One of them is Kung Fat Kwok,which is also based in Sham Shui Poand sells a range of Buddhist ritualtools and paper offerings. The companylaunched its website - yp.com.hk/kungfatkwok - two years ago.
“The website attracts youngercustomers and people from overseas,”
said Kelly Woo, who joined the family-run business when she married her husband, NeilLeung, 43. “There were just no shops selling these tools and paper effigies.”
After offering their products online, she said Kung Fat Kwok has seen sales increase by10 percent.
Woo said she has no problem with the industry’s move toward technology, addingthat although business is not as robust as in the past, she feels the tradition will survive inthe long term.
“People may burn less paper offerings today but I do think the tradition will stay,” shesaid. “Many young people come into our shop at the beginning of the year and buy thingsthat are believed to offer good luck throughout the year.”
Although Woo’s experience suggests the Web could have a positive effect on herincome, master craftsman Au Yeung said he is concentrating his efforts on the product.
“I have to make the paper effigies exactly according to the requests of my clients,”
he said, explaining that a customer once asked him to make a specific Sony notebookcomputer. “He insisted on Sony, so I had to produce a paper handicraft that was exactlythe same.”
Clients have also been known to order dishes from famous restaurants, such as blackpepper chicken wings and sour and spicy pork rice noodles from Tam Kee, a popular HongKong eatery.
“When I get an order like that, I’m in trouble,” admitted Au Yeung. “I can’t eat spicyfood.”
To make the effigy as accurate as he could, he had no choice but to buy the dish andimitate its appearance - and as he did not want to waste the food, he had to eat the spicyrice noodles himself.
“It was so spicy I almost called an ambulance,” he joked.
He admitted he treats his job as seriously as a surgeon, putting his heart and mind intoevery creation. “If I fail to make an effigy that looks like the real thing, I’d be in trouble,”
said the craftsman, who eventually sold the paper spicy noodles for about HK400 (50).
“I not only need to please the customer but also the person who is receiving the gift inthe afterlife,” he added.
Showing respect with online tributes
By PHOEBE CHENG
HONG KONG - Chinese can now turn to the Internet to honor dearlydeparted loved ones thanks to a growing number of memorial websites.
Officials with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s food andenvironmental hygiene department set up memorial.gov.hk in June 2009, offeringa platform for the public to pay tribute and share their condolences.
By giving some basic information, users can design and create a memorialWeb page for a friend or relative.
The site offers a range of themed layouts and allows the use of multimediatechnology. Visitors can browse freely and leave messages to express their personalfeelings.
The service has proved popular among middle-aged surfers. As of Sept 10,there were 3,028 memorial pages already running, with more than half created byusers aged 40 or older.
Wong Tai Sin Temple, a Taoist organization, has also launched an onlineprayer service and virtual tour on its website, siksikyuen.org.hk. Visitors can prayfor themselves and others, while the Tao master will also collect prayers from timeto time and use them in various rituals, according to the site.
“We have to move with the times,” said Lee Yiu-fai, chairman of the WongTai Sin Temple organization. He explained that the service was set up for theconvenience of those who need comfort spiritually but are physically unable toreturn from overseas.
“Just like celebrating your father’s birthday, it’s always better for you to greethim face to face and have a birthday meal,” he said. “But what if you are somewhereelse and are not able to meet him? You’d send a card or make a phone call.”
Lee said he believes tradition is being helped by technology. It is moreconvenient for the public to pay tribute online with just the click of a mouse, he said.
Yet, he does not think computerization of religious rituals will be a trend.
