Largest hanging paper lantern lights up tradition and skill

Remembering his roots

In his career as a professional craftsman, Ha has made thousands of artworks, but there is a single creation that he is most proud of.

The requirement from the client was simple: Ha could make any paper craft he wanted as long as the artwork could be understood by viewers instantly.

Ha spent several days brainstorming, but with no luck. The TV was on and news came out that Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei had returned safely from China's first manned spaceflight.

"The idea struck me instantly that I should make a craft that speaks about the spirit of Chinese astronauts," he says.

In 15 minutes, he drew up the design for the paper craft, which featured astronauts, rockets and other space-themed objects. The project was displayed in a park, where many citizens came by to take photos.

For Ha, the Chinese mainland is both his source of inspiration and his roots.

As the youngest son of the renowned lion dance master Ha Kwok Cheung, he nurtured a deep passion for traditional Chinese culture from a young age. His grandfather was a martial arts master from Guangdong province who developed kung fu skills, both on the mainland and in Hong Kong.

He also traveled to Guangdong on a regular basis to find out more about paper crafting, and exchanged ideas with locals on how to better protect cultural heritage.

In Dongguan of Guangdong, Ha Chung Kin has a factory with more than 300 workers making different kinds of paper crafts.

"Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland must work together for the paper crafting technique to survive and develop," he says.

He is confident that the demand for paper crafts will always exist.

"We Chinese like to put up lanterns or perform lion dances during festivals and on big occasions. Wherever Chinese are, there is always a demand for paper crafts," he says.