No longer a popular choice: Koh putting the final touches to a King of Hades (Tai Su Yeah in Hokkien) effigy at his shop in Gat Lebuh Macallum, George Town. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Sales of paper effigies depicting the King of Hades, known as Tai Su Yeah in Hokkien, have plummeted by 50% with environmental and cost concerns among the reasons.
Effigy maker Koh Eng Keat, 40, said orders for the ferocious-looking effigies are down by almost half compared with the pre-Covid-19 pandemic five years ago.
He attributed this to fewer orders from Hungry Ghost Festival committees due to environmental and financial pressures, as well as a shrinking urban population.
“Many committees now prefer to have the effigy carved out of solid materials such as wood.
“They would not be burnt at the end of the festival. The rationale is that the one-time purchase can be put on display throughout the year and would last for a long time.
“Without the burning, it is also cleaner for the environment,” said Koh when met at his shop in Gat Lebuh Macallum here recently.A second-generation maker, Koh said the declining number of residents in the city and lack of cultural preservation are also factored into the decline in orders.
“Burning the effigy at the end of the festival is a symbolic ritual to ‘send off’ the spirit.
“The prayers and performances as well as the effort to celebrate the festival are communal activities. But with the dwindling population in the city over recent years, it is hard to preserve the culture,” he said.
Fortunately, orders from other states are still pouring in for Koh, who is helped by his father and a partner at the shop.
“We started working on orders in April. Each 1m-tall effigy that costs about RM1,200 would take a week to complete,” he said.
The festival this year will start from Aug 4 till Sept 2.
Taoist belief has it that when the gates of hell open in the seventh lunar month, spirits get to go on a “vacation” to the mortal world while being watched by Tai Su Yeah. Stages are set up in predominantly Chinese areas in the state where performances are held to entertain the spirits.
Usually, each Phor Thor committee will host an appreciation dinner after burning the paper effigies. People from all backgrounds, from businessmen to roadside hawkers, will feast together.Part of the money raised through auctions and donations will go to charitable organisations, schools and NGOs to fund their activities or for the construction of new buildings.
Meanwhile, Penang Teong Guan Association chairman Datuk Jessen Ang said Phor Thor committees had been told to reduce burning to protect the environment and channel the savings towards charitable causes. The association oversees some 450 Phor Thor committees, with 350 of them on Penang island.
“The feasts and dinners will still be held, but some are opting for buffet so that it can cater to large communities.
“This year, we are hoping to raise RM5mil for the relocation of SJK(C) Kuang Yu to Batu Kawan. Part of the money will come from Phor Thor, with the balance coming from other events held throughout the year,” Ang said.
