Growing up in Taipei’s Beitou (北投), once famous for its lion dancing, Hong Lai-wang (洪來旺) was introduced to lion dancing and lion head making at the age of nine, and grew up to become a renowned lion head maker whose work can be found in almost all lion dance shows in northern Taiwan.
Having made more than 8,000 lion heads in his life, Hong, now 96 years old, is still not considering retirement after passing on his skills to his son. The lion head he is working on now will be used in a lion head performance at the Republic of China centennial celebrations.
“A lion head takes at least one month to make, and the procedure is extremely complicated. We want him to get more rest, but my father just forgets to eat once he sits down and starts molding a lion head,” Hong’s son Wen-ding (洪文定) said.
PHOTO: MO YAN-CHIH, TAIPEI TIMES
Recognizing his dedication and persistence in preserving the disappearing craft, the Taipei City Government presented him with a Taipei City Master of Traditional Arts Award last week.
Hong Lai-wang mastered the making of the so-called “Taiwan lion heads,” which differ in style from the Guangdong-style lion heads. Taiwan lion heads are very colorful, and have large eyes, a mirror on their forehead and horns, while Guangdong-style lion heads are decorated with fur around the eyes and the forehead.
Over objections from his family, Hong Lai-wang insisted on learning the craft from an old master in Beitou. He made a living by making molds of teeth after leaving school at 18, but continued to practice making lion heads.
He has also played a significant role in promoting the heritage of the lion dance, and was influential in its development in northern Taiwan. He established a reputation in the folk arts community as the “father of Taiwanese lion dancing” for incorporating martial arts in lion dancing performances.
He never gave up his passion for the lion dance and lion head making despite repression of traditional folk arts during the White Terror era under the former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime, and established a lion dance troupe in 1955 to perform lion dances at temple fairs and celebrations.
As one of the few masters who still handcrafts lion heads in Taiwan, Hong Lai-wang said the most important part of making a lion head was shaping the mold by hand, which determines the appearance of the work.
The remaining steps, from pasting small pieces of white cloth on the mold to create layers, covering it with gold foil and painting it, required patience, skill and attention to detail, he said.
The works of Hong Lai-wang incorporate religious elements, including clouds, fire and the eight trigrams, which represent peace, power and harmony. The lion heads he has made are popular not only among lion dance troupes. Many people display his works in their offices and homes to bring good fortune and guard against evil spirits.
When asked what distinguishes his father’s works from others, Hong Wen-ding said his father’s works keep to the traditional form.
The master, however, gave a different answer.
“People like the lion heads I made because they are just more beautiful,” he said.
In 2006, he and his son established the Taiwan Lion Folkways Art Development Association to promote folk art, giving lessons in lion dance and lion head making at schools and communities.
Influenced by their father, Hong Lai-wang’s two daughters also perform and teach lion dance. His grandson is interested in the “family business,” and wants to become a third-generation lion dance master.
“Lion dance and lion head manufacture are my father’s passions and life-long profession. It is his wish and our obligation to pass on the heritage and preserve the folk art,” Hong Wen-ding said.
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