Name: Ha Kwok-cheung.
Age: 68.
Occupation: Lion dance 'king' of Hong Kong, master of Kung Fu and bone-setter/acupuncturist at his own headquarters in Sheung Wan.
Career Path: Kung Fu, bone-setting, acupuncture and martial art dances (lion and dragon dances) are all linked. You cannot be seriously involved in one without knowing the other. My family has been involved in martial arts for more than four generations; when I was four my father started teaching me all there was to know about lion and dragon dances, how to do some of the steps, about the equipment and so on. My family moved from Quanzhou to Hong Kong when I was a teenager and I joined my father in the business.
Ha's day: I'm always at work early, despite my age, because there are many things to get on with. As well as running the shop I help un seven martial arts clubs across Hong Kong and I have to supervise and co-ordinate all the instructors.
The lion dance teams all have to be trained in Kung Fu to be able to perform the dance properly. There is a lot of organising to be done every day as each month, on average, we have 30 bookings for dances. During busy periods like Lunar New Year we can have up to 15 functions a day. Each lion dance involves 10-12 people when you count those inside the lion and others who play various instruments. A big ceremony with two dragons could involve 150 people, so we have to be very organised not just in terms of manpower, but also with all the equipment needed.