Hong Kong's Paper Craft Heritage: Second-Generation Master Revives 70-Year-Old Family Workshop
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Sang Wo Lung Art Paper Crafting (生和隆美術紮作) in Sai Ying Pun represents over 70 years of Hong Kong's traditional paper crafting heritage. Second-generation master Leung Kam-wa (梁金華), now 72 years old, took over the family business after his father Leung Yau-kam (梁有錦) passed away in 2017 at the age of 102. The workshop, which once decorated Hong Kong for the 1953 Queen Elizabeth II coronation and created a world record 7-meter crane lantern in 1984, now focuses on workshops and limited production to preserve this intangible cultural heritage.
Key Points
- Sang Wo Lung was founded in 1952 by Leung Yau-kam on First Street in Sai Ying Pun, after he initially trained at Hong Kong's largest paper crafting shop Kam Yuk Lau in the 1930s
- The shop's peak period came during the 1950s when paper crafts were used extensively for traditional ceremonies, festivals, and commercial advertising, with products exported to Southeast Asia, Europe, and America
- In 1984, Leung Yau-kam received an order from a Kuala Lumpur shopping mall for a 7-meter crane lantern, which earned the Guinness World Record as the world's largest lantern and gave him the title "Lantern King"
- Summer Ha (夏中建), son of the legendary "Lion King" Ha Gwok-cheung, trained under Leung Yau-kam for two years in the 1980s before establishing his own workshop and later setting two more Guinness records
- Leung Kam-wa began crafting lion heads independently at age 14, worked in banking IT after graduating, and returned permanently to the workshop in 2017 to continue his father's legacy
Why It Matters
This traditional craft, listed as Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage, faces an uncertain future as fewer young people learn the skill. Leung Kam-wa believes paper crafting still has potential, noting that contemporary artists increasingly collaborate with craftsmen to create refined art pieces. His efforts to conduct workshops for both adults and children ensure this centuries-old folk art carries Hong Kong's cultural memory, continuing to illuminate not just festivals but also the city's cultural identity for future generations .
This traditional craft, listed as Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage, faces an uncertain future as fewer young people learn the skill. Leung Kam-wa believes paper crafting still has potential, noting that contemporary artists increasingly collaborate with craftsmen to create refined art pieces. His efforts to conduct workshops for both adults and children ensure this centuries-old folk art carries Hong Kong's cultural memory, continuing to illuminate not just festivals but also the city's cultural identity for future generations .