- Title: Traditional businesses in Singapore see rush of customers ahead of Lunar New Year
- Date: 25th January 2017
- Summary: SINGAPORE (RECENT - JANUARY 16, 2017) (REUTERS) LION DANCE COSTUME MAKER, HENRY NG, SITTING DOWN AT HIS DESK INSIDE HIS APARTMENT UNPAINTED LION HEADS HANGING ON WALL / NG SITTING AT DESK AND PAINTING LION HEAD NG PAINTING LION HEAD (SOUNDBITE) (English) LION DANCE COSTUME MAKER, HENRY NG, SAYING: "Of course today my kids will not (be) interested, and some more I think that this market now is (based on) technology (and) is changing, then also they're not interested. And then, I also encourage them (that it's) better (to) go and study, and next time (they can) get the job easy. Because I (am) do(ing) it (in) my life I think today is because I'm interested, that's why I can carry on the tradition until today." VARIOUS OF NG FIXING BAMBOO FRAME OF LION HEAD SINGAPORE (RECENT - JANUARY 16, 2017) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING DOWN TEMPLE STREET IN CHINATOWN, LINED BY LUNAR NEW YEAR GOODS AND DECORATIONS LUNAR NEW YEAR LANTERNS HANGING SINGAPORE (RECENT - JANUARY 13, 2017) (REUTERS) EMPLOYEES IN TAI CHONG KOK BAKERY'S FACTORY WORKING / RICE BEING GROUND INTO A PASTE TO MAKE TRADITIONAL CONFECTIONERY PASTE BEING SIEVED HAM WING THONG, 79, FORMER BOSS OF TAI CHONG KOK BAKERY, AND EMPLOYEES, LINING TINS WITH BANANA LEAVES VARIOUS OF PASTE BEING PUT INTO LINED NIAN GAO TINS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) TAI CHONG KOK BAKER'S FORMER BOSS, HAM WING THONG, 79, SAYING: "Because tradition has its own merits. Keeping tradition helps us Chinese retain the Chinese culture. Nowadays, society has changed with a new generation of people, so it is now on the shoulders of us, the older generation, to retain the tradition and pass it on." TRAYS BEING PUT INTO STEAMER SINGAPORE (RECENT - JANUARY 21, 2017) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING INTO TAI CHONG KOK BAKERY CONFECTIONERY ON DISPLAY YOUNG GIRL NEXT TO TRAY SINGAPORE (RECENT - JANUARY 13, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGAPOREAN STUDYING IN AUSTRALIA AND BACK FOR THE LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS, JANE, SAYING: "Like one of the stalls, I've eaten at that 'nian gao' place for almost like my whole life, like I've been eating that for the 20 years of my life. Like every time in Chinese New Year, I would come with my mum and buy it and we'll bring it back home and we'll eat it. So, yeah, it sort of like brings back very nice memories of when I was younger."
- Embargoed: 8th February 2017 10:11
- Keywords: Singapore Lunar New Year business Chinese
- Location: No-Data-Available
- City: No-Data-Available
- Country: Singapore
- Reuters ID: LVA00260KVS5H
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:It is the opening day for a new business in one of Singapore's shopping malls and a lion dance performance is in full swing, bringing luck to the new office and driving away evil spirits ahead of the Lunar New Year.
Ever year, businesses specialising in traditional Chinese crafts and foods see renewed customer enthusiasm as the festival season kicks into gear.
Henry Ng, one of the few lion dance costume makers on the island, is rushing to complete orders ahead of the new year which starts on January 28. His hand-made creations cost around 1,250 SGD ($881), which is almost six times more expensive than a factory-made one. One takes anywhere from five days to a few weeks to make, depending on the complexity and Ng reckons he makes 60-70 per year.
Some lion dance troupes insist on using Ng's creations despite the steep price tag, saying that they are recognisable for the detail and quality of work.
Still, Ng's craft has little future in Singapore.
He started making the costumes because he wanted to leave his office job and has been making them since the '90s. It's a passion and a form of art for him, he says, but an art that is likely to end with him.
"Of course today my kids will not (be) interested," he says, adding that he has encouraged them to go and study so that they can get jobs easily.
On the other hand, some Singapore institutions are likely to welcome the Year of the Rooster and the following years of the Chinese zodiac animal calendar for years to come.
Business is brisk at the Tai Chong Kok bakery which was founded in 1935. It is being run now by a third generation, but Ham Wing Thong, 79, the son of the founder, is still in the kitchen, working with 15 employees in a cramped factory on the northern edge of the island.
Production at the moment is dominated by a confectionery called 'nian gao'. It's popular around the year-end as, according to legends, the sweet was given to the Kitchen God to appease him and to glue his mouth shut with the sticky rice paste so that he can't complain to the Jade Emperor about the family in his annual report.
When spoken, the Chinese word "gao" could either mean "higher" or "cake", so eating nian gao has also come to symbolise moving upwards, such as in job promotions, prosperity or school grades.
Made of rice paste, the steamed cake costs $25 SGD ($17.60) for a small one.
"Keeping tradition helps us Chinese retain the Chinese culture," says Ham. "Nowadays, society has changed with a new generation of people, so it is now on the shoulders of us, the older generation, to retain the tradition and pass it on."
The Lunar New Year is mainly observed by the ethnic Chinese population in Singapore. People are due to complete the bulk of their shopping by Lunar New Year's Eve on Friday (January 27) in anticipation of relatives visiting during the festive season. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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