Pingtung middle schooler builds a temple festival in miniature

Pingtung middle schooler builds a temple festival in miniature

2024-07-29

And now we meet a school student with a very impressive hobby. Pingtung junior high school student Hsiao Cheng-hou has built a whole temple festival in miniature. He creates temple processions, mini gods and even temple buildings in his home workshop. Everything from the carpentry to the painting on the ritual objects is Hsiao’s own handiwork. It’s so finely made, he’s already booked an order from a buyer who wants to collect his models.

A sedan chair for a deity bounces down a busy street as part of a temple festival.

Firecrackers are set off to the sound of drums and cymbals. These kids are having great fun. Look closely, and everything from the god’s sedan to the ritual offering tables and the altar seem to be under a magnifying glass.

There are even miniature versions of the gods in this tiny temple where imitations of the real ceremonies can be acted out. All these models were made by the talented Mr. Hsiao.

All the gods, military deities and other temple tools are smaller than your hand. Open up the god’s sedan and you find a tiny lamp inside. Hsiao Cheng-hou is a seventh grader and has always loved temple festivals. Now he’s set his hand to creating his own tiny temples.

His meticulous work makes even the offerings on the altar look just like the real thing. These detailed models are all made in Hsiao’s secret workshop.

It’s on the top floor of the home. Here he measures out each material to the millimeter, and saws up his own wood.

Hsiao Cheng-hou
Temple model maker
I started watching temple festivals when I was little, and I thought it would be fun to do this. I’ve been doing it throughout the summer vacation, gradually learning things, and the more I do it the more I love it.

Hsiao is completely self-taught, and relies on his careful observation of the festivals around him. He gets his materials online or orders them at bookstores. Sometimes he’s lost in the project for an entire day.

Liang Shu-mei
Grandmother of Hsiao Cheng-hou
I think it stops him getting into trouble. He’s at home, we don’t have to go off looking for him. I think he does it well. It’s what the kid is interested in.

Hsiao Cheng-hou
Temple model maker
This is handpainted. It took me more than a week.

Hsiao often brings the models out to play with friends. They set out a big table and act out the whole festival in miniature. A collector has already bought some of his miniatures. With his extensive knowledge of temple culture, and his love for the art, Hsiao knows how to make the most of his summer.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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從小就愛看廟會! 國中生動動巧手做出"迷你廟會"

2024-07-29

"袖珍模型"受到不少人喜愛，但您能想像，就連廟會活動也能做成縮小版嗎?在屏東有名國中生，從小就愛看廟會，突發奇想自己動手做，用書局買來的材料，把神轎、神明等等，都做成栩栩如生的小模型，甚至神轎上還裝電燈，在一張桌子上就能辦迷你廟會，畫面可愛又有趣。

廟會活動登場，神轎起駕，場面超熱鬧。

放鞭炮、敲鑼打鼓，小朋友玩得很起勁，仔細看，不光是手中的神轎，就連停放的神桌、神壇、全部像照了縮小燈。

廟裡的神明也是迷你版，這場超小型廟會，比照真實禮儀流程，而眼前的小模型，都是出自蕭同學的手藝。

所有神明、神將、器具都只有手掌大小，神轎轎頂打開還裝了電燈。就讀國中一年級的蕭丞厚，從小就愛看廟會，長大後自己手動，把廟會的物品，全都做成小模型。

精巧的手藝，連桌上的供品都栩栩如生，這些精緻小模型，全都在蕭丞厚的秘密基地裡完成。

家裡頂樓變成工作室，仔細丈量尺寸，切割木材。

[[廟會模型製作者蕭丞厚]]
"從小開始看廟會啊，就想要玩這個啊，暑假就一直這樣做，然後慢慢學，越做越上癮。"

透過對廟會的用心觀察，蕭丞厚完全自學，材料是在書局或是上網購買，有時一做就是一整天。

[[蕭丞厚奶奶梁淑美]]
"我覺得這樣小孩比較不會變壞，都在家，我不用四處找人。我看他做得不錯啊，是小孩有興趣。"

[[廟會模型製作者蕭丞厚]]
“這是手繪啊，之前畫一個禮拜多。”

蕭丞厚經常帶著作品和大家同樂，一張小桌子就能辦場迷你廟會，甚至還有買家下單訂購他的作品。蕭丞厚一頭栽進廟會文化，打造自己的小宮廟，更是特別的生活樂趣。

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民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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