Roaring business faces stiff competition
By Irwin YeoThe Straits TimesPublication Date: 19-02-2007
A DYING BREED: Lion head maker Ng Hong Kiang says his main competition is cheaper, mass-produced heads from China.
The heady smell of glue and paint fills Ng Hong Kiang's four-room Housing Board flat in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. Strips of dried bamboo, balls of fur and metres of wire jostle for space with tins of adhesive and various blades and pliers on the floor in a corner just outside the master bedroom.
The 48-year old sports dark rings under his eyes. He has been up past midnight almost every night for the last two weeks, working.
Ng is a full-time lion-head maker, one of only two in Singapore.
"Chinese New Year is the busiest time of the year for me. Many troupes require new lion heads when they go out to perform. Since the start of the year, I have made 13 lion heads," said the father of three.
Married to a 44-year old operations executive, he picked up the craft during his army days when he was a member of the United Association lion dance troupe.
He became a full-time lion-head maker when he had his first child in 1995, two years after his marriage.
He had been working as a machinist in a multinational aerospace company, but resigned when he was not allowed to take leave to look after his wife and baby.
He turned to his talent, and started making lion heads for a living.
He likes the flexible hours, and feels a sense of pride when he sees his lions performing in public.
Satisfying his customers is something else.
"They expect a lot from me. The colour must be striking and the design must be unique so I must deliver products of good quality," he said.
It is a painstaking work, trimming bamboo with a sharp blade, assembling the head, and decorating it.
On average, he makes between five and six lion heads a month and charges about $1,250 (US$816) for each one.
It is a tough business, he said, and his biggest threat is competition from China-made lion heads which can be had for as little as $300 (US$196).
Ng said he is fortunate to be able to count on the more established troupes to give him business.
"They still buy from me because they know I will not compromise on quality. The imported lion heads have shoddy workmanship, they are mass produced and lack quality," he said.
He has another edge: He takes requests for custom-made heads. The most unusual request came from the Singapore Management University, which wanted a Merlion head for the opening of its Bras Basah campus.
Despite his talent and passion, he does not want his two sons and daughter to follow in his trade.
"I do not really see the prospects," he said.
As lion dance troupes get more commercialized and the industry more competitive, most will buy cheaper lion heads from China, he thinks.
For now, he has the perfect job and it allows him time to take care of the children while his wife is at work.
He added with a smile, "this is still what I like to do."
Respond: Competition is very much part of modern life. In every sphere of human activity there is some form of competition going on, be it on a larger or smaller degree. Some of us cope well. There are some who fall by the side. Yet there are some who shun competition, preferring not to get involved. We have to outdo others in order to win the competition. In our daily work we face many challenges arriving from others. We struggle to overcome them. As a student, in the competition for good grades, the achievers rejoice, the non-achievers grieve. We fight to be the best. Our education system has produced generations of people who judge a person by the amount of certificate he has.
From this report we can see that Mr. Ng was a dedicated worker. He puts his heart into what he is doing. He sacrificed his job as a machinist in a multinational aerospace company to become a lion head maker just to look after his wife and baby. He was a caring father who knows the needs of his family. Although lion head is a tough business he perseveres. He is unique as he takes request for custom-made heads thus able to survive in this career, and make high quality lion heads which were unmatchable compare to those tawdry china made lion heads.
In our life we face many challenges. We can learn from Mr. Ng. We do our best in whatever we do in order to stand out from others. We must be passionate in what we are doing to deliver the best. To survive the modern world we have to be unique or different from others to attract business and achieve results.
From Mr. Ng point of view taking care of his family is the most important followed by his career. Mr. Ng gave up his job and became a lion head maker. I think he followed his heart and fulfilled what a father should do. By tradition his wife should take care of the family. Since he can make lion head at home and earn money, at the same time look after his children, he stays at home. He is killing two birds with one stone. Rather than his wife becomes a house wife which will affect their income.
It seems to me that his family is the most important to him. And his job is not easy. I feel that the author put in a lot of effort to make his customer satisfied to beat lion head rivals.
That lion head making is a difficult and challenging job, making a living out of it require much effort and trouble.
We have to follow our hearts in whatever we do. Why? Because our passion for that will spur us on to beat the odds and overcome barriers. We can do our best for our family, friends and people and at the same time feel happy for what we are doing.
The 48-year old sports dark rings under his eyes. He has been up past midnight almost every night for the last two weeks, working.
Ng is a full-time lion-head maker, one of only two in Singapore.
"Chinese New Year is the busiest time of the year for me. Many troupes require new lion heads when they go out to perform. Since the start of the year, I have made 13 lion heads," said the father of three.
Married to a 44-year old operations executive, he picked up the craft during his army days when he was a member of the United Association lion dance troupe.
He became a full-time lion-head maker when he had his first child in 1995, two years after his marriage.
He had been working as a machinist in a multinational aerospace company, but resigned when he was not allowed to take leave to look after his wife and baby.
He turned to his talent, and started making lion heads for a living.
He likes the flexible hours, and feels a sense of pride when he sees his lions performing in public.
Satisfying his customers is something else.
"They expect a lot from me. The colour must be striking and the design must be unique so I must deliver products of good quality," he said.
It is a painstaking work, trimming bamboo with a sharp blade, assembling the head, and decorating it.
On average, he makes between five and six lion heads a month and charges about $1,250 (US$816) for each one.
It is a tough business, he said, and his biggest threat is competition from China-made lion heads which can be had for as little as $300 (US$196).
Ng said he is fortunate to be able to count on the more established troupes to give him business.
"They still buy from me because they know I will not compromise on quality. The imported lion heads have shoddy workmanship, they are mass produced and lack quality," he said.
He has another edge: He takes requests for custom-made heads. The most unusual request came from the Singapore Management University, which wanted a Merlion head for the opening of its Bras Basah campus.
Despite his talent and passion, he does not want his two sons and daughter to follow in his trade.
"I do not really see the prospects," he said.
As lion dance troupes get more commercialized and the industry more competitive, most will buy cheaper lion heads from China, he thinks.
For now, he has the perfect job and it allows him time to take care of the children while his wife is at work.
He added with a smile, "this is still what I like to do."
Respond: Competition is very much part of modern life. In every sphere of human activity there is some form of competition going on, be it on a larger or smaller degree. Some of us cope well. There are some who fall by the side. Yet there are some who shun competition, preferring not to get involved. We have to outdo others in order to win the competition. In our daily work we face many challenges arriving from others. We struggle to overcome them. As a student, in the competition for good grades, the achievers rejoice, the non-achievers grieve. We fight to be the best. Our education system has produced generations of people who judge a person by the amount of certificate he has.
From this report we can see that Mr. Ng was a dedicated worker. He puts his heart into what he is doing. He sacrificed his job as a machinist in a multinational aerospace company to become a lion head maker just to look after his wife and baby. He was a caring father who knows the needs of his family. Although lion head is a tough business he perseveres. He is unique as he takes request for custom-made heads thus able to survive in this career, and make high quality lion heads which were unmatchable compare to those tawdry china made lion heads.
In our life we face many challenges. We can learn from Mr. Ng. We do our best in whatever we do in order to stand out from others. We must be passionate in what we are doing to deliver the best. To survive the modern world we have to be unique or different from others to attract business and achieve results.
From Mr. Ng point of view taking care of his family is the most important followed by his career. Mr. Ng gave up his job and became a lion head maker. I think he followed his heart and fulfilled what a father should do. By tradition his wife should take care of the family. Since he can make lion head at home and earn money, at the same time look after his children, he stays at home. He is killing two birds with one stone. Rather than his wife becomes a house wife which will affect their income.
It seems to me that his family is the most important to him. And his job is not easy. I feel that the author put in a lot of effort to make his customer satisfied to beat lion head rivals.
That lion head making is a difficult and challenging job, making a living out of it require much effort and trouble.
We have to follow our hearts in whatever we do. Why? Because our passion for that will spur us on to beat the odds and overcome barriers. We can do our best for our family, friends and people and at the same time feel happy for what we are doing.
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