Ipoh World

Kin Teck, located along Jalan Laxamana is one of the first few and is possibly one of the last names’ that makes and repairs ‘Chinese Southern Lions’ that are used in lion dances. Believed to be the first in Malaysia to start making the lions, Mr. Tan Khar Mee has been involved in the craft for more than 40 years. Interest in the craft began when he was about 11 years old, where his uncle who originated from China would give him lessons on the craft when he (his uncle) had free time in the evening. He learned the craft in the same shop where Kin Teck is at today, but back then it functioned as a sundry shop. Although he picked up the craft early on in his life, Mr. Tan mentioned that there was no point in opening up a business as lion dances were not allowed to be performed in public unlike today but after they permitted it, that’s when I started doing the craft again. Lion Dance troupes in the 1970’s were required to apply for performance permits. Details of performers, duration and location were to be submitted to the police when applying, as lion dance troupes were associated with gangsterism and secret societies in the country (Tan, 2007).

Most of the lions and even the dragons used in their respective dances were imported from China and Hong Kong, however when repairs were needed, the troupe members knew who to look for as at the time not many knew how to get them done. When asked, how long did it take for you to master the craft? “It’s hard to say as its experience from orders the customers place over the years, if we’re able to do it, we’ll do it. Most of it we did it on our own, like for the set of Anna and the King, the elephants and phoenix were also done here”. Mr. Tan also mentioned that over the years, he came up with his own design for the dragons by taking inspiration from the designs of the dragon statues that are found on the roof of Chinese temples. The price of a lion depends on whether the customer would want one with an authentic lion design or just an ordinary one, the price for the authentic design would cost at about RM2,200 whereas the ordinary one would cost about RM1,700.

When are the peak periods for orders to come in? “They usually come in close to the end of the year, at about this time (September/October) coinciding with the New Year (Chinese New Year). The number of orders vary, if you require a number I can’t give you a definite one as it is rather difficult when it comes to crafts like these, when there are a lot of orders, you won’t be able to do it. Like say if customers want it by the New Year, they would have to order now, and if they order it later (than September / early October), we won’t be able to meet the deadline as there would be too many.” One lion would take about 10 days to complete and would also depend on the weather for the paint to dry, a dragon however would take about a month to complete. “So that’s why you can’t take many orders as all of these are not machine made, we put our time and effort into doing it.” The frames to make the lions are made by binding thinly cut bamboo and Mr. Tan gets his supply of bamboo from Papan and Parit. “These days it’s expensive, there’s a lot of work to it as well as I’d have to cut them thinner to form the frames”. The tools used in making the lions are clips, clamps, sandpaper and aluminum.  

What was the biggest job since you started the business was our question to Mr. Tan with his reply being a 450 feet dragon for the Chung Hwa School Union, Penang that cost at about RM20,000. As mentioned earlier, he also worked on displays for the sets on Anna and The King, starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat.

Mr. Tan also mentioned that his brothers and sisters were never involved in the business / craft. While Mr. Tan works on the lion heads, his wife is the one that sews the body and tail of the lion. When asked, what does your family think of the craft? “Well, I do my thing and they do theirs. No one does this craft in my family. My children know how to bind the frames but choose not to do it. It isn’t a business that you can earn a lot, these are more for the older generation. Like say if a young man opens up a business like this, it won’t take long for him to close it up. You really can’t earn much in this business, seriously speaking. You’d only be able to earn about RM300 – RM400 on workmanship for one lion (the rest goes for the materials) not forgetting the amount of time needed to make one lion. A day’s pay is even lower than the amount you’d earn as a construction worker, where there’d be easily a hundred at least (a day) but for the older generation, the craft is something for them to pass their time and try to ensure that traditional crafts like these are not forgotten over time. A lot of young people who come to learn the craft failed to do so, because they just don’t have the patience to sit there and bind the frames. This is not a craft where you sit and work like an office job, no, this is one where you’d need to have the patience and passion in the craft and if you’ve done it wrong, you’ll have to untie the particular part and bind again. A lot of youngsters came to learn the craft but just didn’t have the patience for the craft but if you ask them to play video games, they’d have no problem with that. It’s not that I don’t want to teach them, I provide them with the materials, lessons plus I don’t even charge them anything for the lessons”.

With history being an in-thing with the younger generation these days, how do you think it would affect your business in the positive sense? “It won’t affect business at all, because the lions are usually used during the New Year celebrations, there isn’t really any other function or purpose to it except maybe for house warming parties and new shop openings. Even if you give it (the lion) to people for free, they wouldn’t want it. Even those who perform the dances find it hard to earn a living, these days they’d have to rely on school students to perform but children these days are just so pre-occupied with tuition, plus they could also get injured from performing could also stop them from joining as children these days are so precious to their parents compared to our time, where we could just run around and play. On weekends, they could get people to come and perform as on weekdays people’d have to work and students would have to go to school. Even if they’re able to perform on weekdays, all they’d get is about RM300 to Rm500 and transportation costs would already cut RM100 plus from that amount and not forgetting the time required for them to practice the routines, not many people want to perform the dances these days”.

Reference

Tan, S. B., (2007). The lion dances to the fore: Articulating Chinese identities in Penang and Medan.
        In Yoshitaka Terada, (ed). Authenticity and Cultural Identity. Senri Ethnological Reports 65: 63-
        78. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.

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