‘I hope the deceased will receive these items’: Penang paper effigy apprentices passionate about their craft

Using a small knife, he deftly sliced the sticks lengthwise and cut them into shorter pieces. Sound of the sticks shuffling against the floor filled the workshop, where Mr Lee and his co-workers were rushing an order.   

“I’m used to having splinters in my fingers,” the 25-year-old told CNA. 

Mr Lee was crafting the roof structure of a paper mansion for a funeral. The order had just come in and all hands were on deck to make sure that the items – usually a house, a car, a butler and a maid – were delivered on time.

Chinese traditional customs have it that these paper paraphernalia, when burnt, will be delivered to the deceased in the netherworld. Hell notes, paper clothes, and an array of everyday items are commonly offered during the Qing Ming Festival (Chinese All Souls’ Day), funerals and death anniversaries of the deceased. 

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The Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival, which falls on Aug 14 this year, also contributes to a spike in orders for the “da shi ye” (guardian god of the ghosts) effigies, as well as that of his four subordinates.

Entering the industry six years ago, Mr Lee was a rare young face in the trade. He recounted knocking on the doors of paper effigy master Koh Beng Hock to seek employment, but was turned away. 

“I came back again just several hours later, and this time, he agreed to take me in,” Mr Lee said. “A few months later, I became his disciple. He told me to get him a box of five nuts mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival every year, that’s it!”

HARD WORK, PATIENCE AND ARTISTIC FLAIR NEEDED, SAYS THE MASTER

Mr Koh, 63, taught Mr Lee all he knew about paper effigy making, without withholding any secrets. While his friends in the same trade do not have successors taking over their businesses, he has two - his elder son Mr Koh Eng Keat, 35, and Mr Lee. 

“This is me when I was younger,” he said while gesturing at Mr Lee, a tinge of pride and affection in his voice. The older Koh first dabbled in paper effigy making in his teens, following a friend to help out at a workshop after school, and a lifelong career in the trade ensued. 

“To be a paper effigy maker, you need to be hardworking and patient, with a strong attention to detail. Talent and artistic flair are also needed. Not everyone can do this,” he said. 

His young disciple evidently met all the requirements. Sitting on a small stool on the floor and bending over the bamboo structure, Mr Lee said the most important lesson he learned from Mr Koh was the need to be flexible and innovative. 

“Our master teaches us the basics, but it is up to us to chart the path ahead. We observe (our master’s craft), and then we adapt,” he said.

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THE APPRENTICES INJECT A TOUCH OF CREATIVITY

Concurring, the younger Koh, who was in-charge of making the paper butler and maid, said a touch of creativity is also appreciated. For the maid’s hair, he let the ponytail rest on one side of the shoulders, and added a flower as adornment. 

“We can improvise a little bit so it’s not too boring. Change the facial expression slightly, and the overall feel will be different. To quote Spongebob, we have to think out of the box and have imagination,” he said, flashing a cheeky grin.

About a decade ago, the younger Koh set aside his passion for baking and music to work for his father. “I thought my dad didn’t have anyone to inherit his business… and then this young man came along!” he said with a laugh. 

Mr Lee was unfazed by the fact that this trade is closely related to deaths and bereavement services. 

He attributed it to his late grandfather, who was the chairman of a local charitable organisation that helps to make funeral arrangements for deceased whose bodies are not claimed by family members. 

“The general hospital will contact us when there are such cases, and we will take care of the cremation.

“I followed my grandfather since I was nine or 10 when he made arrangements for the deceased. He was very passionate about this. He considered helping them a merit-making deed,” he said. 

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PEAK PERIOD IN LEAD UP TO SEVENTH LUNAR MONTH

The seventh lunar month in the Chinese calendar is the busiest period for paper effigy workshops. It is the month where, according to Chinese folklore, gates of the lower realms are thrown open for spirits to roam the human world. 

While individuals offer food and burn candles and joss papers at roadsides after night falls, big-scale celebrations feature a grand “da shi ye” paper effigy to preside over the ceremony. Standing at several metres tall, the king of ghosts cuts an imposing figure. 

For master Koh’s workshop, orders for “da shi ye” come from as far as Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur. Each takes about two weeks to complete, from building the structure to putting the final touches.

“Depending on the customers who place the orders, the faces of the ‘da shi ye’ effigies can be in green, red, blue, white or black,” Mr Lee explained. 

“The most time consuming part is getting the details right and fixing on the ornaments. For instance, the collar of a ‘da shi ye’ has three layers made of six pieces of paper, and he holds a ‘ling pai’ (authority token) in his hand.”

Upon completion, the stern eyes of the “da shi ye” paper effigies are covered with a piece of paper, only to be removed when the celebrations begin at the respective sites.   

At the end of the celebrations, the “da shi ye” effigies will be burnt, signalling the return of the god to the underworld. 

No matter how delicate and elaborate they are, these handcrafted effigies will eventually be reduced to ashes. Despite so, Mr Lee said they treat every item with respect and care.

“I am most satisfied when customers say my paper effigies look very real. I’ve made a paper tiffin carrier that is stackable, just like the real thing, and a paper sewing machine with a lid that can be lifted,” he said. 

Last year, Mr Koh’s workshop received an order for a 3.7m paper mansion. It was so big that it took one month to complete, and could only be assembled when delivered to the customer.  

“And then it was burnt down in less in two minutes. I looked at it and thought: Wow. Our sweat, the splinters and cuts that we suffered... We worked so hard to make this and it is now being razed by fire.  

“My only hope is that the deceased will receive these items,” Mr Lee said. 

He added that he will be in this trade for as long as there are still demand for paper effigies. 

“This is part of the Chinese culture. If there are younger people willing to learn and take over, the trade will still exist. But like my master said, it’s not every day you have a ‘siao gia' (crazy young boys) turning up, saying he wants to make paper effigies.”