Macau’s traditional industries are finding themselves forced to adapt to the realities of today’s Asia

Text by Chung Wah Chow
Photography by Gary Mak

Once a fishing village, Macau is known for its dedication to preserving heritage and a singular way of life. Today, some of the SAR’s traditional industries are having to adapt to survive in the modern world.

In 2008, religious figure carving in China was deemed an ‘intangible cultural heritage’ – UNESCO’s phrase for a living legacy. Peter Tsang, a woodwork master in Macau who inherited his skills from his grandfather, says that the art of religious figure carving has its roots in the religious beliefs held by local fisherman.

“Back in the 1920s, fishermen made up one third of the population in Macau. Because of the dangerous nature of maritime activities, tablets and figures of deities were placed near the prow and inside the cabin on every fishing boat,” Tsang says. “Fishermen believed the figures had supernatural powers to protect them from danger. Tin Hau and Kwan Tai are the most popular among all the deities.”

As well as the skills he learnt from his grandfather, Tsang has augmented his range of carving techniques by learning from the artisans in Ningbo, China and in Taiwan. Teak is Tsang’s favourite carving material because of its durability. When the fishing industry declined in Macau in the 1980s, Tsang started carving Buddha figures and restoring statues for temples in Macau and overseas. Two of his masterpieces are the restoration of Kwan Tai Temple near Largo do Senado, and the giant Buddha made for Miu Fat Temple in Hong Kong, which took him eight years to complete.

As for the future of the business, Tsang is encouraged by the fact that his nephew wants to follow in his footsteps. “Unlike other traditional industries which gradually [meet their demise], we are very lucky,” he reasons, continuing, “But I also believe that apart from the carving skills, a strong marketing sense is very important too.”

Another fishing-related handicraft industry is shipbuilding. In the industry’s heyday prior to the Second World War, a cluster of shipyards were concentrated around Patane in northern Macau. Lam Sui is one of the craftsmen who learned the art and craft of shipbuilding there 70 years ago.

“For the first three years that I worked in the shipyard I earned no wages because I was just a trainee. But my boss provided me with three meals a day,” Lam recalls. “After five years I became a qualified shipbuilder and my daily wage was 40 cents a day. We celebrate the festival of Lu Pan, a patron saint of Chinese builders and contractors, on the 13th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar every year.”

Lam explains that April through July were the busiest months for shipbuilders, as they had to repair boats before the fishing season began in August. “Kapur wood from Sandakan in Malaysia is the material used for shipbuilding. The most difficult parts to construct are the stem, the stern and the mainmast. Trainees were not allowed to touch the stem; only very experienced shipbuilding masters could do that.”

During the war Lam was taken to Sarawak to build cargo ships for the Japanese. After he returned to Macau at the end of the war, wooden boats were superseded by ones made from steel or fibreglass. Shipbuilding jobs became scarce, and so he started his own home furnishing business. The last time he built a boat was 40 years ago when he was contracted by the Acconcis – a well-established Italian family in Macau – to make a pleasure vessel for them.

Today, Lai Chi Vun in Coloane is the only place where shipyards have not yet been demolished. But for a glimpse of the history of naval architecture in Macau, the Maritime Museum is the place to go.

For thousands of years, the burning of incense sticks has been the most common means in Chinese communities all over the world to express reverence for deities and ancestors. The unique aroma of the joss sticks never fails to bring back memories of a bygone era for Tam Kin Hong, the owner of Veng Heng Cheong, one of Macau’s oldest operating joss stick factories.

Tam remembers that during the 1960s the joss stick business was at its height in Macau. China’s Cultural Revolution forced incense factories to close down, resulting in Macau stepping in to meet worshippers’ needs.

Most joss sticks are handmade, Tam explains. “Cuoxiang is of the best quality among all types of incense sticks and they are all hand-rolled. Usually, workers will mix the fragrance powder and sawdust together and knead the dough. Then they will roll a bamboo stick over and over until [the powder sticks].”

A skilful worker can roll 1,000 joss sticks in an hour. To enhance the aroma, sandalwood – which produces a dense fragrance – is added to cuoxiang. They are twice as expensive as other incense sticks, but are still in great demand because offering inferior joss sticks to deities and ancestors is simply unthinkable.

“Incense sticks have to dry in the sun. We used to have a factory in Porto Exterior to dry the sticks, but now it’s moved to Guangdong due to redevelopment in Macau and cheaper labour costs in China,” Tam says.

Although his industry has faced fierce competition from the mainland since the 1990s, Tam doesn’t feel too pessimistic. “It is difficult to hire workers in Macau anyway. Though we have relocated the factory to China, we still keep our outlet here as we have a lot of loyal customers who have been buying joss sticks from us since the shop was founded!”