Eyebrows furrowed in cautious focus as he chisels photos and Chinese language characters onto mahjong tiles, 70-year-old Cheung Shun-king is among the final craftsmen of his variety in Hong Kong.

Hand carving taking part in tiles for the favoured Chinese language sport was a supply of revenue for a lot of, however the introduction of less expensive machine-made units whittled away at their buyer base and turned their work right into a rarity.

Cheung's household alone used to personal 4 separate retailers, the place as a young person he discovered his commerce.

This photograph taken on July 6, 2022, exhibits mahjong tile artisan Cheung Shun-king, 70, utilizing a drill stand to carve dots on a mahjong piece at his store within the Yau Tsim Mong district of Hong Kong. (Photo Credit: AFP)

"I've given my youth to it," he says of his work. "I do not know if I am going to have the power to hold on in a couple of years, however for now, I am going to proceed to do it."

Cheung's retailer is on an avenue lined with mahjong parlours, however none of them purchase their tiles from him.

"My mahjong units are costly," he admits.

A full set of hand-carved tiles prices HK$ 5,500 (US$ 700), he says, whereas machine-carved ones are round HK$ 2,000.

The worth displays the time spent making them.

Industrial manufacturing of tiles takes about an hour, but it surely takes 5 days for Cheung to finish the method of carving and colouring his tiles.

Lots of his clients purchase units as souvenirs and sometimes request customised photos.

However Cheung thinks this latest surge in curiosity in an outdated custom could also be ephemeral.

"It is just in these previous few years that folks have felt a way of nostalgia" and are available to purchase his tiles, he says.

"What if a couple of years later nobody feels nostalgia?"

This photograph taken on July 6, 2022, exhibits mahjong tile artisan Cheung Shun-king displaying his instrument set, together with a drill stand, carving knives, writing brushes and paint, used to make hand-carved mahjong items, at his store within the Yau Tsim Mong district of Hong Kong. (Photo Credit: AFP)

Regardless of his perception that his business will proceed to say no, Cheung says he'll work for so long as he can, till there isn't a demand.

He used to conduct workshops for younger folks however doesn't wish to tackle apprentices due to his pessimism.

"To study (this talent) is not a matter of 1 or two months — making an attempt it would not work in the event you did not immerse your self in it for 2 to a few years," Cheung says.

"If, by then, handcrafted mahjong tiles are not any extra a development, then this talent would turn out to be ineffective."

Cheung doesn't know find out how to play mahjong himself — his curiosity lies solely in crafting the tiles.

He says that being known as an artist, nevertheless, is flattering, and a "large praise" for him.

"If others say it's artwork, then it's artwork. For me, it's my job, as I've to make a residing."

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