Hand-carved mahjong tiles ‘part of the Hong Kong story’: plight of craftsman facing eviction from stairwell store sheds light on dying art form
- Third-generation owner of Biu Kee Mahjong in Jordan says landlord is forcing him to move out over non-compliance with building standards
- Lawmakers urge ‘special arrangement for special case’ out of consideration for craft as one of city’s heritage gems
Cheung Shun-king is one of a handful of Hongkongers involved in hand-carved artisan mahjong tiles, a tradition passed down through three generations, but he might be forced to close his store and risk the demise of his unique craft.
Mahjong tile-making was in 2014 listed as an intangible cultural heritage by an office under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, with the mission being to safeguard and support the transmission of the technique.
“Of course I don’t want to retire. I’ll be happier if I could stay at my store and carve tiles every day,” said Cheung, 71, the third-generation owner of Biu Kee Mahjong located under a stairwell in Jordan. He estimated there were fewer than 10 people in his profession citywide.
Cheung recalled his landlord walking by the store on September 29 and telling him he needed to move out before November 2 because his set-up had violated the Building Ordinances. The landlord did not elaborate.
“I was having my lunch at that moment and I totally lost my appetite. I felt very apprehensive about the future,” Cheung said, adding the landlord refused to talk the next day and told him to contact his lawyer.
“But when my children called the lawyer a few days later, he also refused to talk without his client’s approval,” Cheung said. “I rang the landlord again that night, he told me to leave before the end of October.”
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Biu Kee Mah-Jong forced to close after more than 50 years hand-crafting mahjong tiles in Hong Kong
A letter dated September 14 and seen by the Post showed the Buildings Department had on May 27, 2021, ordered that certain works on the premises be completed before July 26, 2021, including on a structure in front of the stairs, as well as Cheung’s store, that obstructed escape in the event of danger.
