Stores packed with lanterns and others festive paper craft creations designed to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival have been receiving surging numbers of customers in a market in Hong Kong's northern New Territories in the lead up to the festival, which lands on Tuesday.
Paper artisan Kenneth Mo Cheuk-kai has been busy preparing for the festival, which dates back more than a millennium and is a cherished occasion for family reunions across China, with revelers eating mooncakes, appreciating the full moon and lighting lanterns.
Lanterns are one of the oldest traditions of the festival and are used to make wishes and decorate homes. By far the most popular lantern is the rabbit, a nod to the character from the ancient Chinese myth, who joins the moon goddess Chang-e.
"Traditional lanterns are very rare, so I would like to buy a traditional one for this year's festival," said a customer named Fiona Wong.
Some of the smaller lanterns are produced in a factory but the master craftsman Mo makes some of the bigger ones by himself. He is specialized in hand-crafting custom-orders, such as a Chinese unicorn head which will be used by a local dance troupe to usher in good luck.
Mo's interest in making lanterns and paper decorations was piqued at the age of 13 when he sought to repair a paper lion head damaged during the traditional lion dance.
He went on to study the craft before later turning his hobby into a full-time profession by launching his own business.
"I spend a lot of time watching and learning, trying to understand this craft. It wasn't until I was 25 that I quit my job as a tour guide and I opened my own store," said Mo.
Now, 27 years later, his business is still going strong, with the craftsman receiving up to 300 custom orders ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
While Hong Kong's glory days of paper crafts may be over, Mo believes they remain integral to preserving the city's culture and are still a highly-sought after fixture during many festive occasions.
"Without us, the whole tradition is not complete. We are facilitating the traditions. For example, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, you will need religious crafts to support the whole event," he said, referring to one of Hong Kong's most colorful cultural celebration events, which has been on China's national list of intangible cultural heritage since 2011.
Mo's passion for preserving the arts led him to start a charity, teaching his craft to students.
"It is easy to lose this craftsmanship since it is already considered an intangible cultural heritage. So, it is in danger. If it disappears, it would become one of those things we only read about in textbooks, rather than seeing this art in person," said Yuen Suet, one of Mo's students.
The veteran craftsman, meanwhile, pledged to keep on work working and do his part to ensure this old custom keeps shining for years to come and he is confident the ancient tradition will continue to captivate new generations.
"It is not just a hope, because festivals need generations to gather together. Us seniors will pass on to the younger ones. As long as they have senior family members, it can be continued," he said.
Artisans in Hong Kong help paper crafting shine during festive period
