"Bump!" Playing mahjong is an entertainment for many Hong Kong people, and it is also a good activity for social networking. But when playing mahjong with relatives and friends, have you ever thought that Hong Kong still has hand-made mahjong?
In recent years, Hong Kong has set off a wave of nostalgia, and some characteristic local cultures have been paid attention again, including a variety of handicrafts.
Zhang Shunjing, who is nearly seventy years old, is the person in charge of "Marking Sparrows". He is one of the few shops in Hong Kong that still produces hand-made sparrows. Every pair of sparrows produced by him is unique.
Unpopular craftsmanship passed on to his father from his grandfather, and his father passed on to Uncle Jing. Now there is no one to follow. Uncle Jing sighs that nostalgia is just a trend, but learning to sculpt sparrows by hand is half a life skill. "When they learn it, the trend is no longer popular. "Frankly, I don’t have the energy to accept apprentices to teach skills.
Photography: Li Zetong
He started making hand-carved sparrows when he was 14 years old.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
In recent years, there has been a wave of nostalgia, and the craftsmanship has once again been paid attention to.
Uncle Jing, who is in charge of marking sparrows and has been hand-carving sparrows for more than half a century, said that in recent years, many media have promoted the art of hand-carving sparrows.
Marking the sparrow is the ancestral business of Uncle Jing. His grandfather and father have been engaged in this industry. Therefore, he has been exposed to this craft since he was a child. He officially entered the industry at the age of 14. No, the craftsmanship will be passed on naturally."
Since machines can quickly produce neat sparrows, why would anyone still choose to buy hand-carved sparrows?
Uncle Jing revealed that hand-carved sparrows are more hand-feeling, and some people will especially like them. "The manufacturing process of hand-carved sparrows is not too difficult, but it takes a lot of time."
Marking sparrows also sell machine-engraved sparrows, which are relatively cheap.
Uncle Jing revealed that it takes about five days to one week to carve a pair of ordinary Cantonese cards, but he is very old and has limited mind and energy. Currently, he can only carve one sparrow a day.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
One card worth $4,000 in Macau casino business
Uncle Jing revealed that it takes about five days to one week to carve a pair of ordinary Cantonese cards. However, he is very old and has limited mind and energy. Currently, he can only carve one sparrow a day. It can be carved very quickly, and a set of Cantonese cards can be carved in one or two days, but it will take a few days to rest afterwards."
Hand-carved sparrows are priced according to different patterns. The more complicated the patterns on the card, the higher the charge. One Chinese character costs $100, and three English letters are counted as one Chinese character. The minimum charge is $300 per sparrow.
Uncle Jing recalled that Macau casinos once asked him to carve four dragons on the cards, charging $1,000 for one dragon, that is, each card is worth $4,000.
I have also tried some customers request that the whole set of sparrows can be spelled out with the word "happiness". Don't think that only two Chinese characters should be carved. Uncle Jing pointed out that it has taken ten days to single-carve the two characters. It’s difficult for you to find any flaws, for example, it seems that the strokes are not in place, but when the color is applied, the flaws will be fully revealed and need to be corrected slowly."
A Macau casino once asked Uncle Jing to make hand-carved sparrows. Due to the complicated patterns, a card was worth 4,000 yuan.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
Carving "Wanzi" is the most time-consuming and "tube" is the most dangerous
Needless to say, it turns out that the effort required to carve each sparrow is different.
Uncle Jing revealed that it takes the longest time to carve "Wan Zi" because of the most strokes. "One "Wan Zi" has to pick a stroke at least four to five times, plus the "Wan Zi" has so many strokes. Carving many times", he said that carving "East, West, South, North" and "Suozi" is also time-consuming.
Uncle Jing also pointed out that although carving the "tube" is the fastest, the process is actually the most dangerous, because the core drill used to carve the "tube" will heat up as long as the core drill is repeatedly used two to three times. When the handle is moved slightly, the iron piece installed underneath will be disconnected. "If the iron piece is broken, it may be inserted into the hand immediately and it is easy to get injured."
Uncle Jing said that the iron pieces generally used to carve Guangdong brand bobbins are divided into three sizes. The thicker the iron pieces are relatively less likely to break. However, when making Taiwanese brands and some thin ones, you need to use the younger ones. The iron piece has a greater chance of breaking.
Most of them buy mechanical sparrows for hundreds of yuan, and they turn around when they hear that it needs more than a thousand yuan for hand-carving.
Hand-carved sparrow master Zhang Jingshun
The glorious era has passed, there are only about 12 hand-carved sparrow shops left in Hong Kong
In the 1950s and 1960s, the hand-carved sparrow industry in Hong Kong was at its peak. At that time, many hand-carved sparrow shops gathered on Canton Road. There were already more than a dozen shops in just one street.
But times have changed. In the past 30 years, there have been no new hand-carved sparrow shops in Hong Kong.
Uncle King’s current shop is located on the stair shop on Jordan Road. It turned out to be the fourth time to move the shop. He said that he had to consider every time he moved the shop and insisted on staying in this street, just because he didn’t want to come here. People can't find him, "If the relocation location is too far away from the old store, customers will not spend time looking for the location of the new store, and it will be difficult for the business to continue to operate."
As for accompaniment, some masters have retired and some have left Hong Kong. Uncle Jing has also heard that several hand-carved sparrow shops have closed in recent years. In the hand-carved sparrow shops, they all survive in the cracks.
Uncle Jing revealed that if Mark Sparrow needs to relocate in the future, he will retire.
Uncle Jing sighed that the atmosphere of playing sparrows has not declined, but people are turning to mobile sparrow games. Even if they buy sparrows, most of them buy cheaper sparrows. Fewer and fewer people appreciate hand-carved sparrows. Yes, the cheapest cost is several thousand yuan. At present, it is only relying on the support of a group of caring people."
The new crown pneumonia epidemic is sweeping the world. More citizens stay at home to fight the epidemic. Many people play sparrows to kill time. Business in the sparrow industry may improve as a result, but Uncle Jing admitted that he has not benefited from this. The one-hundred-yuan mechanical sparrow will turn around and leave as soon as it hears that the hand-carving requires more than one thousand yuan."
Hand-carved sparrows are unique. Most customers buy them for collection purposes. Most of the ones that are really used to "fight the Sifang City" are machine-made sparrows.
They were drinking at the hand-made Oktoberfest earlier, while teaching people to carve sparrows.
You can hardly imagine that they are all foreigners, because they have carved beautiful Chinese characters.
Hand-carved sparrow master Zhang Jingshun
Teaching American women's carving skills remotely, "They carve beautiful Chinese characters"
In order to keep up with the trend, Uncle Jing tried to use the Internet and social media to promote hand-carved sparrows. His children opened a Facebook page for him a few years ago to update his business development regularly. Uncle Jing even successfully recruited foreign businesses through the Internet. .
After a foreigner browses the special page, his opponent is interested in carving sparrows and wants to order a collection. After receiving the order online, Uncle Jing can send the hand carving sparrows to foreign countries. "At present, 70% of orders are from foreign countries. The market in Hong Kong is now saturated. Fortunately, foreign customers can only continue to operate."
In addition to buying hand-carved sparrows, there are also many foreigners who want to learn this craft. Although Jing Shu frankly admits that it is difficult to communicate with foreigners, he can barely communicate with them with his body movements.
He now teaches American women this craft from time to time. "They were still hand-crafting Oktoberfest while drinking while teaching people to carve sparrows. You can hardly imagine that they are all foreigners because they have carved beautiful Chinese. Character".
"Nostalgia is popular now. Who knows how long the nostalgia atmosphere can last? Maybe a year or a half of the trend will end, but hand-carving sparrows cannot be learned in a moment."
People's freshness in things comes and goes fast, and Uncle Jing understands this truth well.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
Uncle Jing lamented that there are not many people who know how to sculpt sparrows in Hong Kong. It is already a diminished craft.
He confessed that he did not intend to accept apprentices. Even if someone was interested, he did not have the energy to teach skills. "Nostalgia is popular now. Who knows how long the nostalgia atmosphere can last? Maybe a year or a half of the trend will end, but hand-carved sparrows are not a one-and-a-half. They can learn it in an instant. When they learn it, the trend is no longer popular. Without this nostalgic trend, there would be no one-handed sparrow carving business for a year."
Year after year, the trend is overwhelming, and people’s newness to things comes and goes fast. Uncle Jing understands this truth.
Even if the industry is no longer courageous, he still hopes to do it for another ten years.
He certainly hopes that the culture of hand-carved sparrows can be preserved and let young people know that Hong Kong once had this craft. "There are media reports and video records. I hope that hand-carved sparrows can become one of the collective memories of Hong Kong people."
Interview with illustrator Karen: The things behind the hand-carved sparrows are interpreted with art [New Year's Fighting Sparrows] The hand-carved mahjong shop supports a family of six Meijie stayed behind in her family business for 40 years
01Community