Wooden Representations of Religious Figures

The Chinese have a long history of worshipping religious figures, and each hand-made statue is the result of meticulous work by an artisan. This extraordinary skill is now listed as intangible cultural heritage in Hong Kong. Our protagonist, Master Siu Ping-keung, possesses over half a century of experience in engraving and restoring religious figures. With his exquisite wood carving techniques, he infuses the logs with the shape, aura, and soul of various religious figures. His vivid creations can be found in temples throughout Hong Kong. The local industry of crafting wooden religious figures reached its peak in the 1960s. As technology advances, an increasing number of new statues are now made by machines, resulting in a decline in the number of artisans. Master Siu plans to document his knowledge and experience in a book to provide people with in-depth understanding of this remarkable craft. In addition to creating new statues, there are also numerous restoration projects. Master Siu has developed his unique maintenance and gold coating techniques, and he has entrusted these tasks to his son, Ah Siu, with the hope of passing on his skills.
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