She made gods for 70 years: meet the matriarch of Singapore’s last handcrafted Taoist deity producer
about 5 months ago (12/04/2023)
She made gods for 70 years: meet the matriarch of Singapore’s last handcrafted Taoist deity producer | South China Morning Post Advertisement Advertisement Asia travel + FOLLOW Get more with my NEWS A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you Learn more Tan Chwee Lian is the matriarch behind Say Tian Hng, Singapore’s last Taoist idol business. She is retired, but the business continues through her family. Photo: Ronan O’Connell Lifestyle Travel & Leisure She made gods for 70 years: meet the matriarch of Singapore’s last handcrafted Taoist deity producer Singaporean Tan Chwee Lian, now 92, has spent the best part of seven decades carving warriors and Taoist deities from blocks of camphor wood and painting them The business is tapping into the tourism market, with walking tours and cultural workshops – one is called ‘How to Give a Middle Finger, Song Dynasty Style’ Asia travel + FOLLOW Ronan O'Connell + FOLLOW Published: 7:15am, 5 Dec, 2023 Why you can trust SCMP “How to give a Middle Finger, Song Dynasty Style” is an unusual name for a workshop, to say the least, so to find out more, I accept an invitation to step into a timeworn studio in Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar district, where a 71-year-old artist is hard at work.