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07/09/2026

Lion Dance craft and culture in Ipoh
It’s 7PM in the city of limestone peaks — Ipoh, the air is still damp after rain. A bunch of eager youths gather at the space in front of the row of shophouses in which Zhong Shen Trading nestled. After bringing out various props, they start practicing basic martial arts and lion dance moves under the guidance of Master Teh Wing Liang, then proceeding to train for plucking the Green.

Practicing martial arts is the foundation of lion dance, enhancing agility and endurance, which is crucial to the lion’s posture and aura. Master Teh leads his disciples through the routines of Hung Gar, comprising punches, footwork, as well as weapons. After practicing martial arts, their footsteps became steady and vigorous, making it easier to execute high-difficulty leaps as the lion head or handle the heavy lifting as the lion tail. Master Teh insists on solid training in traditional martial arts, ensuring lion dance keeps its true spirit and inner core instead of becoming just a superficial show. He also feels committed to nurture the next generation, hence establishing his own troupe — Zhong Shen Martial Arts and Lion Dance Academy.

Teaching is just a side project to Master Teh, whose main job is crafting lion dance heads. Since a young age, he is immensely interested in arts, and has a knack for painting. During secondary school, he joined the lion and dragon dance troupe, and succeeded in crafting a dragon head from scratch at the age of 15. From that moment on, an ambition to pursue a lifelong career in crafting was sparked. After graduation, his passion did not fade. During the day, he works various odd jobs, and in the evening, besides practicing at the martial arts association, he also restores dilapidated lion heads for schools and other troupes. Meanwhile, having been introduced by his master from the martial arts association, he began crafting lion heads for troupes in Singapore. He managed to save up a sum of money and established Zhong Shen Trading on April 11, 1996 despite uncertain prospects and persevered all the way to this day.

Be it lion head or dragon head, the four main steps are: framing, pasting, painting, and decorating. Construct the frame with bamboo strips, paste fabric and paper to form the base, hand-paint colours and patterns, and then install the components and decorative accessories. When constructing the frame, the challenge lies in mentally visualising the proportions of each part according to the required dimensions. Achieving properly balanced structural angles when binding bamboo strips together is equally critical. When pasting, ensure the surface is smooth, taut, and wrinkle-free. Paint with even strokes to ensure uniform colour and avoid jagged edges. Decorating is relatively easy, just need to make installations are securely attached.

Master Teh was just 13 when he first stepped into the world of martial arts, lion dance, and dragon dance. 38 years of passion and 30 years of building his own career have transformed that young boy into the craftsman he is today. Living a simple but full life, he works daily at the shop, carving out time for his own training, teaches several weekly classes, and occasionally leads his troupe to performances or competitions. As modern lifestyles and entertainment habits change, people with a genuine passion for dragon and lion dancing are becoming fewer and further between. Nevertheless, there are still several troupes active in Ipoh, operating under different models; yet Master Teh remains steadfast in his commitment to training traditional martial arts fundamentals.

As one of the few full-time dragon and lion craftsmen in Northern Malaysia, Master Teh’s creations not only supply the local market but are also exported to Singapore and Taiwan. He also excelled in painting deity portraits, drawing frequent commissions from various temples and Taoist priests.

A martial artist by training, a lion dancer by heart. Dedicated to the craft and teaching, Master Teh Wing Liang keeps cultural heritage alive with unyielding passion.

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【Lion Dance Info】
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, various kingdoms from the Western Regions presented lions to the Central Plains as a form of tribute. People eventually began mimicking the appearance and movements of these lions for performances, which became the earliest prototype of the lion dance.

A lion dance performance requires a high level of tacit teamwork and coordination among the lion head, the lion tail, the drummers, and the coach.
The Lion Head is responsible for controlling the lion’s expressions and executing most of the lifting, jumping, and high-climbing movements. This role demands exceptional strength and endurance.
The Lion Tail is responsible for matching the footwork of the lion head, controlling the shape and balance of the lion’s body, and supporting the lion head during high-difficulty stunts.
The Musicians are responsible for playing the drum, gongs, and cymbals. The music and the lion's movements must be perfectly synchronized.

The styles of lion dancing are divided into Northern and Southern variations, each featuring vastly different appearances and movements.

Northern Lion
- Also known as “Sacred Lion”, popular in regions north of the YangTze river in China.
- Furry all over, comprising male and female, gentle and fierce, adult and cubs.
- Incorporates acrobatics, featuring skillful maneuvers such as stepping on balls and vaulting over springboards.

Southern Lion
- Also known as “Auspicious Lion”, popular in the region of GuangDong, emphasising martial arts fundamentals.
- Fut San Lions have rounded heads, broad foreheads, a wide mouth, overall full and robust with aggressive movements.
- Hok San Lions have relatively flat heads, a protruding mouth, overall light and agile with gentle movements.
- Only males, featuring either scholarly or military traits

With the 19th-century wave of immigration into Malaysia came the Southern Lion, which originated in the GuangDong region, primarily represented by the Fut San and Hok San variants. Lion dance was intertwined with martial arts associations, serving as a complementary training methods. Practitioners would first build a solid foundation in basic martial arts before integrating routines into the lion dance movements.

In the past, when lion dance troupes from rival martial arts associations crossed paths, they would fight to prove their superiority. As times changed, lion dance became part of schools and community groups, evolving into a healthy form of physical fitness for youths.

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【Plucking the Green】
During festivals or shop grand openings, lion dance troupes are invited to perform to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune and prosperity. The most exciting part of the performance is "plucking the Green", where the lion navigates obstacles to capture food. This food typically consists of cabbage (symbolizing prosperity), tangerines (symbolizing good fortune), or simply a red envelope containing money.

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【Lion Head Sizes】
The lion heads are generally classified into Size 1 (Large), Size 2 (Medium), and Size 3 (Small).Today, Size 2 and Size 2.5 are the most popular and widely used, while teenagers usually dance with Size 3. To accommodate young children or for use as decorative pieces, even smaller sizes have been introduced, including Sizes 4, 5, and 6.

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Century-old brand expanded as two brothers each run their own shop, yet still passing on family skills over three genera...
03/09/2026

Century-old brand expanded as two brothers each run their own shop, yet still passing on family skills over three generations. Kapok is filled with care, just to ensure that the user sleeps well.

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28/08/2026

Shouldering tufts of cotton, ensuring a good night’s sleep | Kapok Pillow in Penang
Pillows, bolsters, baby cots et cetera are stuffed with kapok, whose natural fibres provide soft and breathable comfort for a good night’s sleep. The craft of making kapok-filled bedding goods is passed down from generation to generation, spreading from Bishop Street to Church Street in Georgetown, Penang.

Two brothers, Teh Soon Seng and Teh Soon Teik, are the third generation to continue their family legacy, producing bedding goods stuffed with kapok. Over a century ago, their grandfather migrated to Penang from China, learned the craft of making bedding goods, thus establishing Hup Kee at Bishop Street, and raised a family. Their father followed in their grandfather’s footsteps, as well as their uncle, who set up Tee Decorations at the neighbouring Church Street. Among their eight siblings, Teh Soon Seng inherited his father’s shop and renamed it to Hup Kee Seng, while Teh Soon Teik set up Sim Hup Kee a few doors away from their uncle.

Branching out from the same family, the two brothers each manage their own store, the products they offer also differ slightly. Teh Soon Seng, the elder brother, specialises in making baby cots, and often takes in orders for custom-made products, such as meditation cushions. Teh Soon Teik, the younger brother, makes general items such as pillows, bolsters, and mattresses, as well as reupholstery.

In the past, there were four to five kapok bedding shops on Bishop Street. Hup Kee used to produce customised cushions for o***m armchairs, as well as mattresses for military bases, hospitals, and hotels. During the free port era, Hup Kee even exported their products to the United Kingdom. After decades of ups and downs, witnessing the decline of the industry and the demise of their peers, Hup Kee is still standing, albeit on the verge of disappearing.

The willingness to uphold traditional craft is unable to withstand the crushing wheels of time. A shop manned by only a husband and wife duo possesses extremely constrained production capacity. They tried hiring employees, but many are reluctant to take on such a stifling and tedious job. Their children built their own careers, so as parents, they just have to let go. Without new apprentices, as they gradually age, they can only accept orders within their capabilities, barely making ends meet.

Instead of pursuing scale or quantity, they focus on meticulous sewing and quality. This craft still has market demand today, not only because the amount of fillings can be adjusted according to the customer’s preferences, but they also provide custom-made services for specific furniture, or use different fillings such as coconut fibres or feathers.

Nowadays, a diverse range of bedding goods are readily available, including polyester, foam, and latex, with various functional designs. Mass-produced polyester pillows are affordable, while others swear by premium ergonomic pillows, only the elderly still prefer simple kapok pillows.

Perhaps in a few years, there will no longer be kapok bedding goods shops in Georgetown, replaced by trendy cafés viral on social media. At that time, will anyone remember that there was once a family dedicated to making kapok bedding goods, making good use of their fingers and needles, just to let people have a good night’s sleep?

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【Locality Info】

Bishop Street was named in honour of Father (later Bishop) Arnaud-Antoine Garnault, who had established his presbytery along the street and the first Catholic church in George Town at nearby Church Street. This original church later became the Church of the Assumption before it was demolished in 1857 and relocated to Farquhar Street.

In 19th-century Penang, Bishop Street was a bustling commercial centre, famous for carved wooden furniture and lacquerware artisans, hence known as “Chha Kang Kay” among the local Chinese community.

The Ghee Hin secret society, founded in 1790, set up its main headquarters at Church Street. At its peak, around 70% of Chinese residents in Penang were its members, hence Church Street was nicknamed "Ghee Hin Kay”.

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A traditional hotel housed in a pre-war building, managed by a 70-year-old couple, with accommodation upstairs and a cof...
21/08/2026

A traditional hotel housed in a pre-war building, managed by a 70-year-old couple, with accommodation upstairs and a coffee shop downstairs, has witnessed how times changed, always giving travellers a cozy stay and warm meals with utmost sincerity.

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Two brothers work hand-in-hand, running one of the few factories in Malaysia that still use a wood-fired dragon kiln to ...
31/07/2026

Two brothers work hand-in-hand, running one of the few factories in Malaysia that still use a wood-fired dragon kiln to produce clay pots and medicine pots, carrying on a three-generation familial craft.

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28/07/2026

Wood-fired Dragon Kiln, Flames Alit Over Three Generations | Clay Pot Factory in Ijok
Ijok in northern Selangor is home to one of the few pottery factories in Malaysia that still uses a wood-fired dragon kiln to produce clay pots and medicine pots – Ng Pottery Enterprise. The TeoChew style of clay pot-making passed down three generations of the Ng family since their ancestors migrated south. From fully manual labour in the early days, to employing machinery and moulds nowadays, human hands remain essential for final touch-ups.

A dragon kiln stands towering at one end of the factory, about 20 metres long and 2.5 metres wide, with two kiln doors and several fire holes (for feeding firewood). Fully loaded, it can hold about 2000 pieces of clay pots and medicine pots. The kiln firing process takes three consecutive days, and requires round-the-clock monitoring, constantly adding firewood and closely observing the fire to maintain the temperature between 1200℃ and 1300℃ to ensure uninterrupted combustion. On day three, the fire is extinguished, and the kiln is left to cool down to room temperature before unloading.

Ng Pottery Enterprise is now run by the third generation, the elder brother Ng Lee Kwong and the younger brother Ng Ah Ming, who grew up playing with clay and inherited the family business. Their grandfather started out manufacturing clay pots, medicine pots, and rubber cups. Their father’s three siblings then branched out into different production lines. Their youngest uncle manufactures and supplies utensils to high-end hotels and restaurants; their second uncle produces everyday items such as piggy banks, kemenyan incense burners, and Indian diya lamps; whereas their father produces household cookware such as clay pots and medicine pots.

Thirty years ago, the Ng brothers took over this substantial clay pot factory from their father. It was the 1990s, and almost every household uses clay pots for cooking; business was booming. At that time, there were numerous clay pot factories throughout Malaysia. Later, with the rising popularity of electric cookers and induction cooktops, clay pots faced obsolescence, and many factories ceased operations. After all, clay pot manufacturing involves hard labour, intricate handiwork, time-consuming production process, and low profits. The two brothers are a good example of teamwork, weathering storms together, never giving up on the family business. Ng Lee Kwong is in charge of production, while Ng Ah Ming is in charge of sales and delivery, handling wholesale orders from Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor, and even exports.

Over the decades since its establishment, the clay pot factory has relocated several times, from its original site in Kepong to Kampung Subang, until finally settled at the current location about 30 years ago. Each move meant a new dragon kiln had to be built. With the passing of the older generation who mastered the craft of kiln-building, the dragon kiln in Ijok may be the last. Year in, year out, the inner walls of the dragon kiln have developed a a glaze-like sheen, yet sharp edges are hidden within the beauty. Thermal shock may cause the kiln bricks to fall off or cave-in, the two brothers had no choice but to figure out how to perform repairs themselves. Since the original Japanese raw bricks have been discontinued, now they can only use building-grade red bricks instead.

Unwilling to see their ancestral craft lost in time, the Ng brothers persisted in running the clay pot factory despite facing numerous challenges. Each clay pot is not only a cookware bearing timeless culinary culture, but also embodies the Ng brothers' hard work in continuing their family tradition.

【Locality Info】

Ijok is the name of both a town and a Chinese-majority village in Kuala Selangor, Selangor. It is strategically located at the intersection of Federal Route 54, connecting Kuala Lumpur and Batang Berjuntai.

In the early 20th century, Javanese immigrants settled in Ijok to cultivate the land, so most of the Malays in the town have Javanese ancestry. The town's name is believed to derive from the Javanese word for green, "Ijo" or "Hijau," symbolizing the lush green rice paddies of the past. Local legend also suggests that the area was named after palm trees called "Ijok" that once grew there.

During the Malayan Emergency in 1948, in response to the activities of the Malayan Communist Party, the British colonial government implemented the Briggs Plan, establishing Kampung Baru Ijok to relocate the Chinese community scattered across Ijok 8th Mile, 28th Mile, and Bukit Padang. Initially, villagers relied on vegetable and taro cultivation for sustenance, but switched to rubber planting in 1951 due to large-scale rubber plantation development by the British colonial government. As rubber profits declined, most villagers converted to oil palm plantations over 20 years ago. In recent years, with the support of the Selangor state government, many small and medium-sized factories have been established in Ijok, gradually transforming it into an industrial zone.

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【Clay Pot Info】
Made from all-natural materials, clay pots have a porous nature which enhances food and tea aromas by allowing heat, moisture, and volatile oils to circulate, creating a slow-cooked, complex depth that seals in and rounds out delicate fragrance notes. Therefore, clay pots are widely popular across Malaysia, being the preferred cookware for Indians to cook curry, Malays to cook Tom Yam, and Chinese to cook Bak K*t Teh in.

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【Medicine Pot Info】
Although modern people hardly use medicine pots to decoct herbal medicine, there is still a market demand for them — for melting gold. Goldsmiths need to melt gold to create various ornaments. Medicine pots can withstand the high temperatures of metal smelting, are chemically stable, and the side handle design allows for safe and precise pouring of the molten gold. Even if a medicine pot can only be used once, the cost is not too high.

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Classic clay piggy banks manufactured manually by husband and wife duo. Despite facing various challenges, they strive t...
06/07/2026

Classic clay piggy banks manufactured manually by husband and wife duo. Despite facing various challenges, they strive to play a role in cultivating the habit of saving.

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28/06/2026

Save a Fortune, a Blooming Field Awaits ｜ Piggy Bank Factory in Ijok
Clay piggy banks have been widely used since thousands of years ago. They have only one slit for inserting coins, and are broken open to remove them when full. The fact that it has survived to this day shows how important it is to cultivate the habit of saving. In recent years, cashless payments have become increasingly popular, and physical piggy banks are facing elimination, but in Ijok, there is a factory still producing traditional clay piggy banks. The colourful and attractive varieties include animals, gas cylinders, post boxes, and fruits. Each piggy bank produced carries the warmth from the hands of the second-generation owner, Ng Poh Huat, and his wife, Yin Shin Peng.

The Ng family roots can be traced to Teochew, China. Mr Ng’s grandfather moved to Malaya and made a living with his pottery skills. He first set up a factory in Kepong, but relocated to Kampung Subang to make way for development, yet history repeated itself, the factory thus relocated to its current site in Ijok about 30 years ago. Mr Ng’s father and his two siblings all work in the same industry, each leading a different production line: the eldest makes clay pots, the second makes piggy banks, the youngest makes dining ware.

47-year-old Mr Ng used to work elsewhere, but later chose to return home and take over the piggy bank factory from his father. The retired senior Mr Ng drops by occasionally to visit and help design piggy bank moulds. Since Madam Yin married into the family, she helped with the operations in the piggy bank factory, learning from scratch, as well as attending courses to upskill. When Mr Ng goes out to make deliveries, she is able to run the factory all by herself.

Clay piggy banks are made using the slip casting method, which is mixing kaolin clay with water into a mixture and pour into plaster moulds. Plaster moulds absorb water from the mixture, thus forming a layer of clay on the inner walls, taking the shape of the mould. Once the clay has solidified to a certain thickness, excess mixture is poured out, leaving only a small portion, then attach the cover securely and invert the mould, and wait till the next day to unmould.

With a small knife in hand, Madam Yin pries the plaster mould open, and takes out the piggy bank carefully. She cuts a slit about an inch in size, pats the bottom of the piggy bank to release air, and arranges it onto a wooden plank to air dry and solidify. The next step is refining the outline of the piggy bank, scraping off excess clay, and polish with water to smoothen the surface. After drying to 70-80% dryness, the piggy bank can be loaded into the kiln.

Nearly a thousand piggy banks of different shapes and sizes are stacked in the kiln, seemingly as easy as a building block game, yet in fact requiring a lot of brainwork and patience. The walls of the kiln are then sealed with bricks, the roof wth zinc sheets, and a fire is kindled to dry the piggy banks over low heat for a day, until they completely dry. Then firewood is gradually added to increase the heat, until the temperature reaches about 1000 degrees Celsius, firing for about five hours before extinguishing, and let the piggy banks cool down, only unloading the kiln on the next day.

A layer of primer is applied to the piggy banks, to make the spray paint colours appear fuller and brighter. Mr Ng exercises precise control over the airbrush, spraying thinly in multiple layers, letting the surface dry before applying the next layer of a different colour to avoid pooling and runs. It takes half a day for the painted piggy banks to dry. Before packaging, Madam Yin adds a finishing touch to the eyes of animal piggy banks.

Clay piggy banks are diverse in style, many details still require great attention and human hands. Before being fired in the kiln, the piggy banks are still clumps of clay, grayish-white in colour, and can be reshaped even if it breaks; after being fired in the kiln, the piggy banks became pottery, yellowish in colour, once broken they must be discarded. The success rate is usually as high as 90%, but if it is unfortunately less than 50%, they had no choice but to suffer the losses.

Traditional piggy banks are pushed into decline due to changes in modern lifestyle and the shift to cashless payment methods. The piggy bank factory also produces goods used in folk religious practices, such as incense burners for worshipping Datuk Kong, and joss paper burners popular in northern Malaysia. Despite facing numerous challenges, Mr Ng and Madam Yin continue to run the traditional piggy bank factory, supporting their family.
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Husband and wife artisan crafting shoes together for 47 years: She cuts and sews, he welts and completes the rest of the...
08/05/2026

Husband and wife artisan crafting shoes together for 47 years: She cuts and sews, he welts and completes the rest of the procedures. From wholeselling in the past to now bespoke shoemaking, crafting fit and comfortable shoes.

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