Self-taught craftsman makes giant effigy of King of Hades

ALOR SETAR: Craftsman Gan Kheng Leong has outdone himself again, building a 9.65m tall effigy of Tai Su Yeah (King of Hades) which weighs about a tonne for this year’s Hungry Ghost Festival.

He and his team used 1,000 sticks of rattan, 200 rolls of adhesive tape and more than 2,000 pieces of coloured paper for the effigy which he claims is the biggest in the country. For its eyes, Gan used two white 30.5cm diameter globe lights while he sprayed the face with green paint to give it a fierce look.

His team, which initially started with three people but later increased to about a dozen, took 20 days to build the effigy which was ordered by the Pertubuhan Penganut Tow Boo Keong Mergong here.

They completed the task at 7pm on Tuesday and unveiled the huge structure to the press yesterday at the association’s building in Mergong. A 11m-long shed was erected to shelter it.

Gan, 56, recalled that he initially rejected the request by his friend from the association to build his first effigy in 2013 as he did not have the experience to do so since his background was building decorated roofing and arches for temples.

Gan said he dreamt of Tai Su Yeah a day before beginning the task this year, during which he got the inspiration for the facial expression for the effigy and colours for the face and clothes.

“I told the association committee members about my dream and they told me to proceed with the work according to the dream.

“I did not draw out any structural plans to build the effigy. All I did was based on my instinct and experience. All the dragon motifs on the shirt were done by me on the spot without making any outline by pencil,” he said.

While the month-long Hungry Ghost Festival started on the first day of the seventh lunar month yesterday, the association will only begin its celebration tomorrow and will burn the huge effigy on the night of Aug 14, on the last day of its celebration.

Pertubuhan Penganut Tow Boo Keong Mergong chairman Ong Geek Beng said the association had displayed Tai Su Yeah effigies for devotees to pray to during the Hungry Ghost Festival since 2010.

Ong, 60, said the latest effigy cost about RM30,000 which was paid for with donations from devotees and sponsors.

According to Taoist belief, the spirits enjoy a month-long “vacation” in the human world during the festival when the gates of hell open, allowing them to roam freely.