Street Talk: Flower Plaque Maker Lee Tsui-lan
Lee Tsui-lan is the second-generation owner of Lee Yim Kee Flower Shop, one of the few remaining workshops that produces fa paai—giant, handmade flower plaques for festivals and weddings. After 50 years in the industry, she tells Yanis Chan about the importance of this dying craft.
HK Magazine: How did you enter the industry?
Lee Tsui-lan: My father started Lee Yim Kee Flower Shop in 1954. I’ve always liked art. I was still a student when I started helping him. I did it full-time after primary school. He used to provide the catering service for village banquets but then shifted to the flower plaque business because he thought he could earn much more.
HK: What are they used for?
LT: Most of the orders are for traditional Chinese festivals like the Tin Hau Festival. We also make plaques for weddings, inaugurations and business openings. The majority of our customers are from the New Territories, where most villages are located. But by word of mouth, we have started to take orders from as far as the island district.
HK: Why are fa paai important to Hong Kong culture?
LT: They are part of a tradition, symbolizing luck, joy and prosperity. They are colorful and bright, and add a hint of happiness to the day. The atmosphere would be different without them during festivals and village feasts.
HK: Why don’t you see more of them on the island?
LT: You rarely find flower plaques on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon because there are too many skyscrapers and too few open spaces. It’s impossible to hang up plaques in places that are packed with vehicles, people and neon signboards.
HK: How do you make them?
LT: We build a bamboo frame then make the decorations—like dragons and phoenixes—with bamboo sticks, wire mesh and reusable metallic foil. People often get confused by the name “flower plaque”—we never actually use real flowers. They are all paper and foil. Some of the decorations were made by my father 60 years ago and we are still using them. The most complicated part is outlining the dragon and phoenix decorations with metal wires. Normally it takes a few days to complete one plaque.