My Family Mahjong Art Story & Master Ricky Cheung

When we talk about hand-carved mahjong making, most people think of the characters made by hand-carving masters with family shops in Hong Kong. However, not many people know the secrets of how to make mahjong tiles in a manufacturing factory in the old days of Hong Kong from 1970s-2000s.

The Value of Mahjong Craftsmanship – Since 1963 Kowloon City

Mahjong has a long history in Chinese culture, bringing much happiness to family gatherings. It has a high value in our culture along with Hong Kong craftsmanship.

My grandfather Cheung started as an apprentice in the mahjong tile industry, going on to open his first factory, named ‘Fuk Hing Lung” Mahjong Factory with grandmother, which was located in South Wall Road of Kowloon City in 1963.

My father, Ricky Cheung, worked very hard day and night and expanded the business in the 1980s & 1990s, to the point where the family’s manufacturing factory was one of the largest ones in old Hong Kong. The whole family was living and working together under the same roof in Kowloon City. I spent the whole day at the factory following his father’s work and observing each member’s crafting role.

Mahjong Master Craftsman Ricky Cheung

Having almost 40 years hand-carved mahjong tile experience, master Cheung started learning hand-carved tiles from his parents when he was in secondary school. The special industry grew into a peak during 1980s which became part of Hong Kong story.

Unfortunately, the industry began to die off, and traditional mahjong tile industry was not spared from the march to modernize since 1990s in Hong Kong, Master Cheung strove to reinvent and improved the quality of the product by working hard with family members. He started to explore machinery support for the factory in 2000s.

Although the business was still not be able to sustain in 2009 due to the severe competition from mainland China, the spirit of the mahjong craftsmanship stays alive. After another ten-year of working hard to support family, Cheung has finally retired in 2018 and is now fully engaged with artistic and creative mahjong craftmanship development inspired by her daughter with a mission to preserve Hong Kong culture.

張誠忠師傅背景

麻雀在中國文化中歷史悠久,為家庭聚會增添不少樂趣,對插畫師的一家有著更加深厚的連繫。

祖父張富華先生初出茅廬便加入麻雀牌行業,起初當學徒,其後於1963年跟祖母共同開設首間工廠。該工廠名為「復興隆蔴雀廠」(前稱「復興隆蔴雀莊」),位於九龍城城南道。父親繼承祖業後在80-90年代擴張業務,將復興隆發展成為老香港規模製造廠房,當時在香港只有兩大廠房,一間位於大角咀,另一間便是「復興隆蔴雀廠」。建立廠房後全家居於九龍城,住所除了棲身之外也是工作間,插畫師整天留在工廠跟父親工作,細心觀察每位家庭成員的角色。

麻雀廠當年提供麻雀生產一條龍服務,從德國採購原材料,到鋸料、打磨、雕刻、上色、剷油、包裝及送貨等。廠房1987年由九龍城擴大至九龍灣工場,從1990年開始張師傅努力研究引入機器輔助生產。可惜好景不常,在1997年香港金融風暴影響下,加上國內低成本之競爭,逐漸取代香港的生產,於是廠房辛苦營運多年被迫在2009年結業。當時行內很多人失業,很多師傅生活徬徨,整個家族亦被迫轉行從新開始。

張師傅之後努力出外工作多年,照顧家中太太,於2018年退休,在獲得女兒的鼓勵及支持下重操故業並重拾興趣,繼續用創意和毅力傳承香港傳統手雕麻雀工藝 並於2020年獲柴灣青年廣場邀請製作香港首次最大型的麻雀工藝和藝術展,由展覽內容,設計,籌備以致各式各樣的麻雀新穎設計都參與其中。

More Details 展覽會資料,Click Here 請接此