Hand-carved Mahjong tiles are becoming a dying art in Hong Kong, as machine-made ones are replacing the handcrafts with lower prices, and the last inheritors of the skill are mostly in their old ages.
Mahjong, a tile game that derived in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and that has captivated China for more than a century, has been a sweet memory of family and friends' gatherings for many Chinese people.
Ho Sau-Mei, one of the last three Mahjong-tile artisans and the only female carver in Hong Kong, is still dedicated to the skill.
Tucked away in a tiny alcove, Ho have been working in her shop for 40 years since she inherited the business from her father in the 1970s, when the business was still booming.
"I was an apprentice at 13, and became a master at 17. My brothers didn't want to take over, so my father passed it on to me," Ho recalled.
Traditionally, mahjong tiles are hand-carved tiles of jade, bamboo, or animal bones. With cheaper machine-made sets and digital versions of Mahjong games on the rise, the traditional craft no longer prevails. But customers are coming from all over the world for Ho's works, respecting her handmade pieces as artworks that bear a piece of the fading tradition.
"Handmade items are dying out, so to get a part of this for ourselves is something meaningful and something to remember in this trip on," said Joe from the U.S., who paid around 375 U.S. dollars for their set of 144 tiles.
Beyond Ho's craving skills, Mahjong by itself is no longer among the favorite activities of the younger generation. As of now, there are only around 60 mahjong parlors in business in Hong Kong.
The owners of the mahjong parlors are trying hard to hold events to attract the younger generations to know about the traditional game, and shift the old perceptions away from its association with gambling and gang activities that is often featured in Hong Kong films. By now, mahjong has been a formal competitive sport officially recognized by many countries and regions.
"When we learn the mahjong, we can share to others and play together in home. Yeah, maybe it's not for money, but just for fun. It's our culture," said a boy at a mahjong parlor, who just won an on-site competition.
While for Ho, it seems inevitable that the traditional craft of mahjong tile carving will fade away. With no younger craftsmen joining, the craft is entering into its sunset era, but she will carry on working, trying to preserve the unique heritage, Ho said.
"It's tiring, and realistically, it doesn't make money. There's nothing we can do, it could disappear. But as long as I can work, I'll continue," she said.
Traditional craft Mahjong carving in Hong Kong fading away
Traditional craft Mahjong carving in Hong Kong fading away
