CTL 3535
Searching for Cultural Identity: Reflections upon Cultural Politics and Policy
Final Report Wandering about Chinese paper offerings
Group Members: Chan Wing Hang (53042430) Lau Sze Man (53035253) Xue Danna (53034742) Yeung Ka Yan (53065362) Yeung Mei Yee (53035554) 1
Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 3 2. Methodology .............................................................................................................. 4 3. Analysis of our results ........................................................................................... 5 A) Difference perspectives in Hong Kong............................................................. 5 B) How the master said offerings as Chinese culture ............................................ 6 The belief of origin in India tale .................................................................... 6 Masters believe offering is Chinese culture ................................................... 6 C) Details about the industry ................................................................................. 7 The development and change about the industry........................................... 7 D) Details about the paper offerings ...................................................................... 8 The procedure of making paper offerings ...................................................... 8 The change of the type of paper offerings ................................................... 10 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 12 Appendix A: Interviews’ scripts................................................................................... 15 Appendix B: The tale of Mulian rescues his mother and ascends to the heavenly halls ...................................................................................................................................... 23 Appendix C. Videos ..................................................................................................... 24 Appendix D: Photos ..................................................................................................... 25
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1. Introduction Similar as Epiphyllums, paper offerings are delicate and having a short life time. Although Paper offerings will be burned soon after their birth, they imply our best wishes to our ancestors or the pass away eternally. After the handover in 1997, heritage conservation has become a prevalent practice in Hong Kong. People are keen to protect both tangible and intangible heritage in the sake of searching Hong Kong identity. Chinese paper offerings is one of the craftsmanship has been attracted tremendous public attention, yet, they draw seldom scholars’ attention. We deem the offerings can reflect the Chinese traditional culture and mindset, such as the filial piety. Furthermore, the offerings are closely related to our daily life but their in-depth meanings and procedure of producing are rarely discussed. Last but not least, it has been considered as a sunset industry from the public view and should we put more effort in promoting and preserving the paper offering industry and craftsmanship. Due to the above mentioned, our group would like to conduct a research on Chinese paper offerings so as to dig into the real situation of them. Before conducting the research, we want to state out some perspectives of the Chinese paper offerings from different people, so as to compare with the results in the end. 1. The crafts is quite easy to make 2. This is a sunset industry, which has been declining in sales and labor 3. The crafts is kind of materialization, so as to fulfil the deaths material desire in their afterlife.
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2. Methodology Information for this report was gleaned from three approaches: interviews, literature reviews and observation. We had some face–to-face interviews with Chinese paper offering craftsmen (Master) and the shop owner, and we did a phone interview with a craftsman for further information. Thesis and library searches, for instance, historical documentation, photographs, and news article were collected as well. Moreover, we visited the paper-offering factory inside a shop at Hong Ham and watched the production process of paper offerings procedure. Below is the interviewees’ information. Interviewees
夏中建 Master Ha Chong Kin
歐陽秉志 Master Ping-Chi
Craftsman
Craftsman
梁婉儀 Au-Yeung Ms Leung
天寶樓紮作 寶華紮作 Ting Bo Lau (Sai Ying Bo Wah (Sham Shui Po) Pun)
Shop Owner 祥記紙號 Cheung Kee (Hung Hom)
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3. Analysis of our results A) Difference perspectives in Hong Kong As a popular culture in China, the role and image of paper offerings can be diversified in the perspectives of different groups of people. It is a valuable culture with long history. It can be a ritual tool in festivals or a job for making livings: For scholars, paper offering is study-worthy; for public, it is functional; for workers, it is interdependent. It is found that the descriptions of paper offerings were mostly appeared in discussion about context of the funeral ceremony in literature. Such as (Ip, 2012) Lai Chi Tim, Professor in Daoist Studies at the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that “In the content of Chinese religious, the concept of the hell and living world is the same. After death, ancestors still need the things they used in the living world.” (Gem, 2013) The cultural value and religious meaning are the main focus in professor Lai’s thesis. In scholar’s viewpoint, paper object is Chinese traditional burial culture and it reveals Chinese imagination about ‘after life’. Hong Kong communities usually link paper objects to Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festival. According to the news report we found, the design of paper offerings can reflect nowadays-local culture and life style. Especially, ‘electronic devices’ and ‘fast food’ are hot items, for example the ‘discs’ of Korean soap opera “Dae Jang Geum” (大長今). Buying paper offerings and visiting the grave of ancestors in Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festival is a habit or tradition of many families. They are willing to pay a lots to buy offerings to express their respect to ancestors. Although the price of offerings keeps increasing, people would not buy less. Moreover, some parents also hope to teach their children about filial piety through visiting. In the movie, “2002”, ghosts have been described as relying on people to satisfy their need by burning things which also shows that the common belief of communities towards the functions of paper offerings. Referring to our interviewees, Master Ha and Master Au-Yeung, paper object has different meanings to them. Master Ha pointed out that paper object needs people to 5
preserve, as it is a kind of art works and Chinese culture. But Master Au Yeung treats it as a job. He said he decided to be a craftsman because could not found any job after graduation. If this job could not make a living anymore, he might probably find another job. The different attitude shows the interdependence of masters and paper object that the former may rely the latter to make a living; the latter may rely on the former to preserve.
B) How the master said offerings as Chinese culture The belief of origin in India tale According to the interview with Master Ha, he said the burning paper offering began from the tale of Mulian rescues his mother and ascends to the heavenly halls, which is an Indian story of The Buddha Speaks the ullambana sutra. 1 The tale has been attached at Appendix B. After Dharmaraksa translated the sutras into Chinese 2, it was adapted into a widely produced popular opera during Song dynasty. According to Meng Yuanlao’s Dong Jing Meng Hua Lu, he writes “the Song people would play the Mulian drama continuously for seven days", it seems this story was quite popular in that time. This tale has a great impact on the notion of hell in late imperial China, the narrative provides a great deal of direct imagery for the hell scrolls, from copper pillars to Yama, from ox-headed gaolers to the Magistrate of Mount Tai. So that, venerating the ancestors by burning paper offerings became Chinese traditions and played an important role in the development of filial consciousness among the Chinese community.
Masters believe offering is Chinese culture Moreover, Master Ha also mentioned that, even some customers have their own beliefs, Christianity or Catholicism might not believe the people who died will receive the 1
Recording of interview with Master Ha Kinchong 14:40-15:35 Wood, Francis (2002). The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 96.
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offerings. However, they still follow the ritual because the after-life world is a mystery for the alive. They might afraid their ancestors being poor and homeless in the hell.
C) Details about the industry The development and change about the industry As Mr. Au-yeung Ping Chi mentioned in the interview, he thought the industry was under a hard time since the lifestyle of modern people now has been changed, the demand of paper offerings is decreasing because there are less people venerating their ancestors by burning paper offerings. The current financial situation of his effigies is in a trouble, the main income of Po Wah is relying on the interest classes thus Au-yeung is now teaching the Crafts Workshop which is organized by St. James Settlement and subsidized by the Hong Kong Bank Foundation and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. However, another interviewee Master Ha had different opinion. When asked whether he thought the bamboo-paper craft industry was declining in Hong Kong, he denied. He thought that when there were customers purchasing the paper effigies and craftsmen making these products, this industry would not decline since there were both demands and supplies. But why are there different views from the bamboo-paper craftsmen in Hong Kong? It is evaluated that the government involvement is one of the reasons leading to the contrasting views. Since Ha was often invited to the project of Urban Council and Hong Kong Tourism Board, most of the large-sized lanterns we see in the parks are Ha’s works. He made much money every year. In addition, he claimed that most of the paper effigies in Hong Kong were from his business. It means that he monopolized the market. Even though the consumption style of buying paper effigies to offer ancestors had been changed in recent years, it did not affect Ha’s business a lot. Comparing to the small scale operation of Au-yeung Wai Kin and his son Au-yeung Ping Chi, Ha’s business is much more large scale as he was specialized in making paper effigies. His shop had a team which provided a continuous line service for funeral. His business occupied a large proportion in the market in Hong Kong. Therefore, it is said that Ha was still optimistic to the bamboo-paper craft industry. Moreover, Ha Ho Man, the son of Ha Chung Kin had gone to his father’s shop to engage in the paper effigies business for five
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years. As the inheritance of his son, Ha did not worry much about no one entering the craft. Therefore he did not think that this industry was declining. Apart from that, Master Ha also stated, the skills of making paper offerings were derived from China originally. During the Cultural Revolution, paper offerings were regarded as superstitious things, thus many masters of paper offerings were persecuted or fled to Hong Kong. However, after Chinese economic reform in 1978, the paper factories started to move back to mainland, and invited the Hong Kong craftsman to teach the new learners. Due to high operation costs and advanced printing and model-molding technologies, the majority of the ritual paper objects that we see in the funeral paper shops are fabricated in China based factories. The objects do not need bamboo-frames which just moulded. There are all kinds of interesting and innovative ritual paper offerings, ranging from comestibles, clothing and electronic appliances. All designs are up to date.
D) Details about the paper offerings The procedure of making paper offerings There are two main types of paper offerings, one is pure paper offerings that without bamboo frame making, and another is bamboo paper offerings that with bamboo frame making. The production process of pure paper offerings is simple. In the past, pure paper offerings were drawn and cut with scissors and pens; while nowadays, most of the paper offerings is directly printed by color printers. 3 Whereas, the making process of bamboo paper offerings are much more complicated. First, necessary tools and materials which include bamboo sticks, home-made glue, sandpaper strips, wet towel, traditional iron scissors and different knives should be prepared.
(Photos Sources: Holly IP) 3
Recording of interview with Master Ha Kinchong 22:05-23:00
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After prepared all the necessary tools, the making of paper offerings could be started. Using the example of making paper house in our visiting of Cheung Kee, and the information of Holly IP 4, traditional craftsmanship of paper offerings mainly includes four steps, which are (1) making the bamboo armature; (2) preparing patterned paper; (3) mounting the paper; and (4) final assembly. Firstly, for making the bamboo armature, masters will put a small amount of self-made glue at the back of their hand near thumb and forefinger. Then, bamboo strips will be trimmed in suitable lengths and bound into appropriate shapes with sand paper strips to make the frame of the house.
(Original Sources) Then, patterned paper will be tailored into different sizes and mounted into appropriate parts of the bamboo armature with glue.
(Original Sources) At the end, decorations like furniture, characters and electronic appliances will be 4
Ip, Holly. Ashes of the after death: the tangible and intangible. Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 2012. 34-39. eBook.
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assembled in the house and finish the final product. It can be seen that making paper offerings is a craftsmanship with high technical requirements. As what master Ha said, a qualified craftsman of making paper offerings need to master “cutting, calligraphic, drawing and binding skills” (剪寫畫 紮). 5
The change of the type of paper offerings After many years of development, paper offerings has transformed from simple daily life and ritual products into various kind of up to date products. The main reasons of the change should be the progress of production technology and the improvement of people's living standard. Traditionally, the paper offerings that people burn are only joss paper (冥幣), paper clothes (衣紙) and incense (serve as food) which generally called Ming Keung (冥鏹). Basically, Ming Keung could fulfill the fundamental need of dead ancestors in the nether world. Apart from basic necessities, ritual goods with special meanings like Golden and Silver Bridges (金銀橋), Red and White Streamers (紅白旛) and Red-crowned Crane with Streamers (仙鶴絲旛) are also made for burned in burial rites. Nowadays, there are various types and styles of the products of paper offerings. As the high living standard of today’s society that people live in abundant material life, the requirement of living standard after dead has also enhanced accordingly. To meet the society’s demand on high living standard, paper offerings shops start to produce trendy items like brand-name handbags, electronic products, cosmetics and delicious delicacies.
Louis Vuitton handbags
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Macbook
Recording of interview with Master Ha Kinchong 22:05-23:00
iPad and iPhones
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Chanel and L'Oréal
Cantonese restaurant’s Dim Sum and abalone (Original Sources)
The meaning of the paper offerings During our field visit to Cheung Ki, Ms Leung showed us an order list of ritual paper offerings used in funerals. The ritual paper objects in the list are commonly used in Hong Kong funerals, such as 仙鶴絲旛 Dragon Tablet 正附薦牌位 , one set of red and white banner 紅白旗 , a pair of female servants 妹媽娣 ,a pair of red and black stick 紅黑大皮槓，a Tang safe 唐夾萬, a bathing room 沐浴亭 ,a bathing cloth 衣,one gold and one silver bridges 金銀橋, a pair of mountains in gold and silver 金銀山 , a garden and a mansion 花園洋樓，a hometown observation desk 望 鄉台, a bright for wen ming文明橋. According to Ms Leung, the customers can choose the objects on the list for the deceased at their will, albeit it is the basic components.
(Original Sources) The offerings in the list mainly for two purposes: assisting the rites and fulfilling personal desires. Take the gold and silver bridges as an example, they are used for the 11
ritual believe of helping the souls of deceased to cross on the way to becoming immortals in heaven. It is hoped that the deceased can be settled their life in another world and not to worry about the living families or the living world. The white and red lanterns are used to assist the rite in funeral ‘buying water’ 澹旛買水. The rite symbols to take three bows to the heaven 當天 to borrow clean water to show the respect and memorial to the death. 6 Some of the offerings on the list are to satisfy the personal desire of both the living and deceased. Since the unknown world of the deceased, the living want to give the deceased lives as comfortable as possible. The rite reflects the respect and filial piety to the ancestors of Chinese. The living feels better if they do enough for the death and they ensure their ancestors do not have to suffer in the unknown world. Therefore, luxury mansion and garden, a pair of female servants and a hometown observation desk is for the personal desire of the deceased. Moreover, as master Ha said the offerings is also to fulfil the desire of the deceased that he used the First Emperor in Qin dynasty as example to explain the paper offering were to continue the material pleasure in afterlife as terracotta army did.
Conclusion To sum up, the previous context has revealed the traditional craftsmanship, the paper offerings, we discussed different perspective of different people, and how the offerings represent Chinese culture, dynamic of the industry, production procedure of the offerings and the symbolic meaning behind different objects. The production procedure is not as easy as we thought before conducting this report. The craftsman of the offerings requires long term practice of the bamboo working skills and excellent cutting, calligraphy skills. This is not a sunset industry as our group members or even public’s first impression. The illusion of its decline might cause by the technological change and should not be considered the industry as disappearing. It is just an old industry which emerged since thousands of years ago. The paper offerings evolve of shape, types and technology by time to time, and being more modern and materialistic. However, the crafts is not turning to materialization as 6
Ip, Holly. Ashes of the after death: the tangible and intangible. Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 2012. 10. eBook.
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our first impression. It is just trying to provide the best to the ancestors. Yet, the tangible forms of paper offering have changed over time, the essential elements of Chinese traditional values have not been changed, for instance, filial piety, respecting the ancestors are still remain after the changes of the paper offerings. After conducting this report, it clears up some of our questions or misunderstanding about paper offerings but there are following questions emerge as well. Apart from Hong Kong how do the paper offerings situate at other Chinese living places such as Tai Wan, Main Land China or even Singapore. Technology improvement did enhance the production of offering and alleviate the craftsman’s workload, but will the skills of making offering dying out? We hope to solve these question someday.
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Reference List Chan, X. (2013, March 27). Talking to the dead: the art of making Taoist paper effigies. South China Morning Post Gem & Virginea (2013). 放眼中華﹕紙紮「潮」變 感念先人不變. In mingpao. Retrieved December 12, 2013 from http://life.mingpao.com/cfm/language3.cfm?File=20131009%2Flanguage12%2Fgfp1 _er.txt Ip, Holly. Ashes of the after death: the tangible and intangible. Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 2012. Janet Lee Scott (2007). For Gods, Ghosts and Ancestors: The Chinese Tradition of Paper Offerings, Hong Kong : Hong Kong University Press. Wood, Francis (2002). The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
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Appendix A: Interviews’ scripts 2013 年 11 月 28 日 下午 12 時 45 分 天寶樓紮作夏中建師傅 電話訪問紀綠 訪問者：楊嘉恩 M：香港人什麼時侯買會買紙紮祭品 H：香港人多數會係先人過身後會買，一般拜神的人，拜佛的人，或者有些信天 主教，基督教的人都會買，因為有中國人的社會其思想和秦始皇的思想沒有大分 別，以前秦始皇生前千軍萬馬，死後有兵馬俑，中國人不論拜道或不拜道的人生 前擁有有車有船有屋，那死後就全部都做出來，念經過程中有些是必需品如金銀 橋，文明廟豪白山仙鷂，沒有這些物品就做不出那種效果。信道，信佛的市民， 及一般沒有特定信仰的人，都會請人做這些做先人過身的工作。現在及一般沒有 特定信仰的人做這些儀式多於信教的，多一倍。如今晚三個殯儀館中，50 間房， 有超過 30 間房的人都燒紙紮品。有些還是信天主教，基督教的人，因為他的心 理有影響。 M：是因為這些是中國人的身份認同嗎？燒紙紮祭品是中國傳統，即使自己信什 麼教都會依照這個傳統，是這意思嗎？ H：沒有錯。照理信天主教，基督教的人不會燒紙紮祭品。但心理上因為未知的 事，就不如去燒，不然到時死後到了下面沒有屋住，就不知道怎麼辦。所以他們 就趁牧師和神父未到時，先燒紙紮祭品，再做宗教儀式。是中國人就有這種心態， 所以世界上有中國人的地方就有紙紮。這種紙紮行業又怎會是夕陽行業呢？不是 沒有人去做。夕陽行業是即有市場但沒有供應，或有供應但沒有市場。現在有人 買又有人做，並不是夕陽行業。只不過是古舊的行業。 M： 哪麼依你所說是中國人就燒紙紮祭品，你有沒有接到過外國訂單？ H：有。我們這個行業其實工作量很大的。先是新年開始，正月十五元宵做花燈， 再過年舞龍舞獅做龍頭獅頭，再來清明節，過後到端午節，再到 7 月于蘭節，8 月到中秋節做花燈，9 月重陽又做死人祭品，十月準備聖誕節，有大量紮作，聖 証老人，鹿車也有得做。現在萬聖節，紮幾層樓高的科學怪人，香港回歸，國慶 又有燈飾做。 M：哪是否所有祭品都是燒？ H：祭品就一定是燒的 15
M：那內地的情況是否與香港一樣燒大量的紙紮祭品？ H：基本上內地的情況是 49 年毛澤東時期，紙紮祭品是迷信品，國家不允許， 懂得做這些迷信品的人都被批鬥死了，到 8090 改革開況，我們香港公司上去做 廠是可以的，但找的人都是新人，變了是我們教他們做，工廠是分開教的，我們 教他們紮車，他們就只紮車，沒有又紮車又紮船又紮飛機。因此他們不是全面地 學，不像我們每樣都懂得造。 M：所以你們不是跟內地師傅學，是在香港學？ H：其實以前的師傅都是大陸廣州來。49 年開國，內地人就逃難到香港，所以當 時香港很多紙紮師傅，幾百人的。後來工廠移到大陸，香港的紙紮師傅又少了。 現在內地紮作技術由香港傳上去。 M：哪紙紮對你來說除了維持生計外，有多重要？你有什麼看法？ H：紙紮不是我主要收入來源，賣棺材才是。紙紮方面，我是抱著中華文代的信 念，和我當它是藝術品，姑勿論它當作火燒的東西。節慶時當它為市民帶來歡樂。 在我心中它是文化遺產，但很可惜，現在香港政府未知道如何去保育這個千年文 化。所以近來韓國爭取紮花燈的技術申請國家級非物質文代遺產，以這些來提升 國家形象，定自已為文明古國。日本的保育也做得很好，是香港不夠努力。 M：那你覺得成為非物質文代遺產，就可以代表整個國家的文化？ H： 當然。反映一個國家源遠流長的歷史文化 M：現在紙紮品有物質化的傾向如出現 IPHOHE 手機，這些會否掩蓋原本燒祭品 尊敬先人心態？ H： 唉，這樣想是原全錯誤的。以前的紙紮不是紮屋紮車。以前是紮雞紮鴨的。 是有個故事的。以前有個人叫目蓮，他媽媽是作奸犯科的，在地府受折磨。目蓮 落到地府看到媽媽淒慘，就帶食物給她，但食物進入口中就成一堆火炭。於是目 蓮就成佛，不再殺生藉此減輕媽媽罪褻，他用漿糊，竹，紮假雞鴨給媽媽，慰藉 心靈。現在市場不斷改變，有很大的電視機，IPHONE ，IPAD，紮這些東西希 望先人用得著，但這些都是虛無飄渺，最重要的是在生的人的心安理得。如果不 燒，在生的人會想：我老豆冇間屋（在下面），會唔會踎街，所以便燒屋給他。 這是因為先人受慰，生人都要慰藉。經濟能力好那就燒多些。 M：那外國是否沒有這視死如生的觀念就不燒祭品？ H： 多數外國人的信念是死後上天國耶穌赦免人的罪。神赦免罪後沒有罪了， 就可以上天國。所以外國人不要燒紙祭。 M：那麼中國燒紙祭品是由民間故事衍生？ 16
H：你可以這樣看。耶穌的故事又衍生出不同的事出。基督有它的宗教思想信仰， 我們中國人有中國人信仰。佛教由印教傳來，中國本土是思想信仰是道嘛。 所以有中國人思想有紙紮，有中國人就有道的思想。看世界有多少中國道教廟， 有廟就有紙紮佬做紙祭。如在關帝廟，不燒又怎可以，關帝沒有衣穿。 M：所以道教是影響整個中國人思想，不論信什麼宗教？ H：又不可以這樣就。如果有些中國人的確信基督教，思想就不同。但中國人如 終是拜神的人為多。 M：紮作鋪興其他紮作鋪和客人有沒有連系？ H：其實現今香港做紙不下二十個。我本身一條龍服務連棺殯，接觸的客人多， 有時做心靈安慰。說道要不要打交道， （希望得到更多生意） ，就不需要，因為他 都是幫襯我的。其他坊間細形紙紮鋪都是我生產，他們向我買。做紙紮的人愈來 愈少，因為這樣紙紮工會就結束。 M：紙紮行業的人少不是因為租貴賺不到錢而不做？ H：不是⋯⋯皇后大道都有好幾間。是買來賣，不代表懂得造。
M：那現在紙紮有貼近時代新產器出現，那紮的技巧有沒有改變？ H： 現在是兩回事了。現在有些影印這些不麻煩的技術，好做好多。不同以往 是靠筆去畫。做一個紙紮佬要懂剪寫畫紮。現在有彩色影印機，去印就可以了， 各出奇謀去簡易處理紙紮，造多些。因為現在香港人手少，大陸人工又貴，廠租 貴，運貨又貴。澳門前特首的家人做紙紮都是我們做。人手少。內地紙紮廠人手 也不夠。個個都不想做紙紮，做紙紮又髒又要思考又要追上時代？ M：不是因為有禁忌而不做？ H：不是的。是因為難而髒。 M：好的，多謝你的時間。 H：不用，如果你要相就 whatsapp 我，我可以 send 給你。 M：好的，謝謝。 2013 年 11 月 17 日 下午 5 時 35 分 寶華紮作歐陽志秉師傅 訪問紀綠 訪問者：薛丹娜 楊嘉恩 問題:寶華扎作在什麽時候創立? 歐陽:1963 年 問題:你在什麼時候入行?你的手藝是誰傳授給你？ 17
歐陽:1997,當時剛畢業尚未找到工作,因此開始幫手打理,例如送貨。我的技術是爸 爸教我的。而我爸爸的技術，則是以前在別的扎作鋪偷師學回來的。 問題：現時哪種貨品最受歡迎？ 歐陽：金銀衣紙和香最好賣，若算上紙紮類的就數紙衣服賣得比較多。不過大多 要看顧客想要什麽，那就扎什麽，例如手袋或是日用品。 問題：門口擺放的新式紙紮是你們親手做的嗎？ 歐陽：不是的，這些都是現成的（內地進貨）。 問題：這些新式紙紮品是從什麽時候開始流行的？受顧客的歡迎嗎？ 歐陽：從前主要是衣包，而這些貨品大概是五、六年前開始興起的。不過，顧客 反映一般，並不是很好賣，主要是年輕人會購買。 問題：你們的顧客主要集中在那個年齡層？ 歐陽：大部份的顧客都是中年或老年人。甚少年輕人會來買，來也只是陪父母一 起。 問題：你們的顧客爲什麽回來賣紙紮品？是因為傳統習俗？ 歐陽：主要只因為節日的需要，例如清明節、重陽節。 問題：購買紙紮品時，有沒有一定的標準？比如特定的時候用特定的紙紮品？ 歐陽：但會有一些基本的貨品，再搭配顧客喜歡的。一份基本的紙紮品（金銀衣 紙）大概賣幾十元一份，在就自己的需要另加，豐儉由人。 問題：現時的生意如何？ 歐陽：光賣紙品不足以維生的，所以只能多做些紙扎品，例如紙車、紙屋等去補 助，並且供應給其他的紙紮鋪。 問題：你們的顧客相信有死後世界嗎？ 歐陽：不一定，有的客人其實根本不信先人會收得到這些物品，甚至會說“反正 生前沒吃到，死後燒來也沒用，不如買少點。”但以前較少人會有這樣的想法。 另外，近來越來越多人因為環保的因素而選擇燒少些祭品。 問題：你平時疊一個金叵羅（紙錢疊的祭品）需時多久？ 歐陽：不一定，有空就疊，一個金叵羅十二層，大概一個小時就能做好一個。一 個可以賣三百元港幣。
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問題：你們自己親手做的扎作會賣得貴些嗎？ 歐陽：是的，以紙鞋子為例，一雙內地入貨的紙鞋只賣十幾元，但如果是我們親 自設計製作的就可以賣幾百元。 問題：你們的貨物都是從內地進貨的嗎？ 歐陽：對，一直都是在內地進貨。不過現在的成本比以前貴得多。尤其是金箔紙 盒檀香，貴的最多。 問題：你認為燒紙紮品是中國的傳統（文化）嗎？爲什麽？ 歐陽：是的，因為中國才會燒紙祭品。 問題：你覺得現在的生意與以前比較有何分別？你們有淡旺季之分嗎？ 歐陽：我覺得以前比較旺，比較多人買紙紮品，而現在，因為殯儀館提供一條龍 服務，也賣紙紮品，故此少了很多人來買，大多只買衣紙。這行有淡旺季之分， 例如重陽、清明便是我們的旺季，此外就是淡季。淡季時一天只有幾百元的生意。 以前較多紙紮品的買賣，一單生意就可高達萬元，相差甚遠。 問題：除了你們父子倆，還有聘請其他師傅嗎？ 歐陽：沒有 “發現紙燈籠” 問題：除了祭品，你們也會賣紙燈籠嗎？工序複雜嗎？ 歐陽：對，像是楊桃燈籠這些形狀會比較簡單，也會比較便宜，大概兩三百元港 幣，較複雜的如像動物類的燈籠比較耗時，也會比較貴，可以賣五百元左右。 問題：你們的顧客多是熟客嗎？ 歐陽：不一定，多數是不認識的。 問題：現在的顧客與以前有什麽分別？ 歐陽：現在的客人比較多要求，例如會給我設計好的圖紙，要求照著扎。爸爸那 個年代，很少有這樣的要求。 “發現紙人頭” 問題：紙人頭也是祭品嗎？ 歐陽：這是徵身，以前有人去世的話，就會依照他的模樣、尺寸做一個紙人，還 會穿上真的衣服。不過現在已經不流行了，我也只是看過一兩次。這個紙人頭是 19
以前那些老師傅留下的，不過他們都去世了也就一直放在這裡了。以前幾個師傅 分工合作，不過現在他們都沒在了，只剩下我們父子。 問題：你遇過最難扎的是什麽？ 歐陽：剛開始所有的扎作對我來說都很難，但現在習慣了都不難了，只是有時有 些貨品製作比較繁複，例如高跟鞋。 問題：你知道紙紮工藝被列入香港的非物質文化遺產候選列表嗎？對你們的生意 有什麽改變嗎？ 歐陽：知道，政府給了我們一張證書作為通知，但是對我們來說沒有什麽意義。 不過我現在有在外面（學校/機構）教興趣班，例如聖雅各等機構可以向政府或 慈善機構申請資助，然後聘請我們作為導師去教學生。 問題：學生反應如何？ 歐陽：其實他們沒什麼反應，也不見得很感興趣，像是被逼來學的，可能是因為 學校要計分吧。 問題：你教他們扎還是只是折？ 歐陽：主要是教他們扎燈籠，如楊桃或是方形。雖然勉強學得會，但未必扎得好 看，有的扎出來像個粽子一樣。 問題：你希望有人繼承這門手藝嗎？ 歐陽：沒想過，其實內地很多這些紙紮品，例如佛山。 問題：內地的紙紮品的製作是以什麽形式經營的？ 歐陽：他們多是大型的廠，用機器印刷，甚至會燒焊再蒙上紙。就像聖誕節的裝 飾，很多其實是先用竹篾扎成形。 問題：以前深水埗紙紮鋪多嗎？興旺嗎？ 歐陽：這裡一直不多，紅磡較多。不過真正的傳統紙紮鋪已經很少了，現在的紙 紮鋪都是賣的都是內地入貨包裝好的，不是自己親手扎的。 （基於梁女士表示不接受訪問, 內容是憑記憶以及零碎錄音撰寫而成） 2013 年 11 月 29 日 下午 3 時 35 分 祥記紙號梁婉儀女士 訪問紀綠 訪問者：薛丹娜 20
Q: 同學 A: 梁女士 Q: 這些設計本來就有的嗎？ A: 是標準的設計，除非有特別的要求,如大花園和大泳池等等。 Q: 紙紮電器的出現是否代表你們會順應潮流？ A: 我們是跟著時代走的，例如 IPHONE 等，不斷推陳出新，只要是客人的要求， 我們都會做，要 NOTEBOOK 做 NOTEBOOK，不過這類產品大多用紙造就可以， 如果需要「紮」的話，人工和手工都很貴。 Q: 用手紮的產品只有這些嗎？ A: 有很多，如飛機、船、輪椅，很多都是人手做。差不多全套紙紮都是用手造。 我(這間)店不是家傳，是請師傅，我先生身前也是白手興家的。 Q: 這店開業幾多年? A: 二十多年，這個店名已二十多年。曾有客人要求西班牙別墅，我們也要做。 如大花園，有泳池、前園、旁邊還有兩個大東西，這樣就能顯得花園很大。客人 的要求都不同的。這個要幾百元，手造的都很貴。有一比一的按摩椅。客人的要 求很多，要求法拉利跑車的都有 。 Q: 但多不多年輕加入紙紮行業? A: 沒有人願意入行,尤其是年輕人。因為工作時間太長，星期六、日不能休息。 而且要學的東西很多，如飛機、車，車也有很多款式──賓士、勞斯萊斯、法拉 利、林寶堅尼，全部都需要學造。還有船，船有快艇、釣魚 X 舨，水上人的 X， 什麼都要認識。如果真的要覺得學得足夠了，是要學很多年。 Q: 那麼你的先生是如果學紙紮的？ A: 有師傅帶（指導），最重要是願意學。 Q: 你先生有沒有收過徒弟？ A: 我先生已過了身。他曾經上過報紙，不過他為人比較低調，外國也有人（記 者）訪問過他，那是唯一我先生身前的訪問，佢（一向）拒絕訪問。我先生與其 他人很不同，有些同行喜歡高調，其實這行業（的人大多）不愛高調，高調的都 是「博出位」 。早前 J2（電視台）有個年輕女孩講解（這行業） ，她說的內容都不 可信。 Q: 我們找到的（紙紮品）大多是打印機印出來的。 21
A: 現在大多數都是印出來的，會手造的師傅（人工）很貴。很多老師傅都過身 了。 Q: 有沒有（死者）親人會親手造紙紮？ A: 沒有，造不到的。有些簡單的，數十分鐘就可以學會(Ｑ：金銀元寶那些?)， 這些最好是親手做。紙紮便太難了。看似簡單，實質很難，而且是有層次、有步 驟，不是隨意做的。哪一條（竹）先紮，哪一條後紮，都是有規律的，如果紮錯 了一條便很不方便。都有規定的，哪樣先貼，哪樣後貼亦有規律。 Q: 一套（傳統喪葬用的紙紮品）有什麼？ A: 這張是單（有列明標準一套紙紮品），客人想要什麼便寫什麼。（他們）有權 選擇加什麼、刪什麼。我們是依照要求做的。 Q: 一套（紙紮品）要多少錢？ A: 數千元。手造的紮品都是比較貴。有些更貴的套裝，這個是普通裝。 Q: 是不是有種紙紮品叫「手瓦」? A: 不是，一片片的才是手瓦，用作破地獄（儀式） 。即是你看到破地獄、走火圈 時斬成一塊塊的那些小瓦片。 Q: 這一整套有什麼功用？ A: 全部都要燒的。藍色是先人牌位，紅色是祖先牌位，因為有先人才有祖先。 「擔 番買水」的「番」便是白色，有白色番和祖先番之分。有仙鶴，用作帶死者離開。 有五石橋，即是別人所說的金銀橋，如果你們早些過來就能看到，現在（這些紙 紮品）都送到殯儀館了。我們十二點是最忙的時候，不停做到四點，五點前便一 定要送出去。不只送到這裡（紅磡），還要到寶福山、鑽石山、香港殯儀館，也 有元朗。這個師傅做了數十年，那一個做了幾年，有些做了很多年的都已經過身 了。 Q: 這個行業有沒有什麼禁忌？ A: （紙紮品）送給先人的，必定要全部燒給祂，還要寫封條封好。寫上先人名 稱，以封條封好。（紙紮品）不可以帶回家。每一件需要燒的紙紮品必定要寫有 先人名字和封條。這些（大型紙紮品）是用於喪禮，殯儀館有大爐可以燒。但清 明節和重陽節便不會燒這麼大，大多是燒（小型）紙造的。漿糊是用粉造的，面 粉同糯米粉，各需不同比例。（仙）鶴賣二百元。原材料從內地運來，香港買不 到。
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Appendix B: The tale of Mulian rescues his mother and ascends to the heavenly halls
“Maudgalyayana’s mother had been reborn in a lower realm, known as the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts. She had taken the form of a hungry ghost who could not eat due to its highly thin and fragile throat, but always felt hungry as her belly was fat and distended. Maudgalyayana had once tried to feed her with rice and water. But, the food caught fire in her belly. Helpless, Maudgalyayana went to Buddha to seek his advice. Lord Buddha asked him to place some pieces of food in a clean plate, recite a mantra seven times to bless the food, snap his fingers to invite the deceased and then lay the food on a clean ground. By doing, Buddha said that the preta’s hunger would be relieved.”
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Appendix C. Videos Video of the paper offerings production process http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNVSD0stN8s Fragment of movie “2002” about Chinese paper offering http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWgQy5G_j7s
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Appendix D: Photos
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