Grasp hundreds of fine bamboo sticks, align them, dip in water, coat with finely ground sandalwood powder. Swirl the wrists in a “blooming” motion, the powder that float up in the air will attach to the bamboo. Repeat the above steps thrice, produce batch by batch, spread out on racks and dry under the sun. Once dried, dye the base and pack. 67-year-old Foo Kok Keong inherited the skill of handmaking joss sticks, passed down over three generations in his family, and runs his own manufacturing site – Tanyi Enterprise at Kampung Baru Rasah, Seremban.
Mr Foo’s grandfather hailed from Anxi County in China, and settled in Kampung Baru Rasah. Utilizing his skill in handmaking joss sticks, he founded a family-run workshop named Hiong Yee Teng. Blessed with a shrewd mind, apart from handmaking joss sticks, he also purchased some joss paper and praying materials, filled a large basket and went around for miles selling them on a bicycle. After getting the business on track, he started production on a larger scale in 1963, hiring numerous helpers, doing wholesale and exports. The second-generation owner of Hiong Yee Teng is Mr Foo’s uncle. Not only did he inherited his father’s business, but also his shrewd mind, expanding to import sandalwood as well.
Mr Foo Kok Keong is interested in handmaking joss sticks since a young age. He begun shadowing his uncle when he was 10 years old, learning the craft. After a few months of hands-on, he gained approval from his grandfather, and started to get paid according to the amount of joss sticks he made. While he was still a student, Mr Foo worked hard to earn his own pocket money, and saved up to buy little luxuries at the time, such as a radio, a bicycle. After graduating from high school, he went outstation and overseas to work, nevertheless he finally chose to return to help his uncle manage the family business, and later branched out on his own.
Back when entertainment was scarce, relatives and young people from the neighbourhood would come over for fun, and gradually learnt how to make joss sticks. In the 70s to 80s, there were lots of swine farms in Kampung Baru Rasah, after facing closure due to swine fever, a dozen or so were converted into joss stick manufacturing sites. Since the 90s, machine-made joss sticks became commonly available, moreover joss sticks imported from China are way cheaper, hitting the joss stick manufacturing industry hard, only the Foo family’s businesses managed to stay afloat. Hiong Yee Teng embraced machinery, whereas Tanyi Enterprise became the sole remaining handmade joss stick manufacturer. Foo Kok Keong and his nephew are in charge of production, while his sister takes care of packaging.
Handmaking joss sticks puts physical abilities to the test. A handful of bamboo sticks already weigh over two kilograms, becoming even heavier after dipping in water and coating in sandalwood powder, yet still need to swirl the wrists in order to “bloom”. During the process, one must pay close attention, joss sticks that are stuck together, broken, or flawed, must be immediately discarded. The procedure may seem easy, but repetitive and dull, trying one’s patience. Mastery is achieved after having endured all the above and countless hands-on practice.
Praying with joss sticks is an important element in Chinese traditional culture and folk beliefs. Joss sticks are used to pay respects to deities and ancestors, as well as purifying the space and the mind. Joss sticks made using natural ingredients exude a mellow aroma, fresh and pure, and would not cause discomfort even when smelling up close. Besides handmaking the signature sandalwood joss sticks, Mr Foo also blends incense powders according to customers’ preference and demand, such as agarwood, kayu raja, lakawood, or even sulfur. His biggest satisfaction arises from customers making repeat purchases because they like the aroma he blended.
Nowadays craftspeople handmaking joss sticks are increasingly rare, skill inheritance is endangered. Mr Foo Kok Keong spent the better part of his life making joss sticks, and is still passionate about it, never getting tired of carrying out the tedious work in a hot and stuffy environment on a daily basis.
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【Locality Info】
Kampung Baru Rasah is the first Chinese New Village established nationwide, as well as the largest in Negeri Sembilan, spanning about 200 acres, located about 3km away from Seremban town centre.
According to folk studies research conducted by scholars, the name “Rasah” originated from:
- Rassak（a tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae）, a type of wood suitable for boat-building.
- Asah（meaning “to sharpen” in Malay）, in the early days, pioneers came upriver to this area covered in dense forest, so they sharpened their knives and sickles on the rocks by the river to clear the natural terrain. They named the river “Asah”, which gradually became “Rasah”.
In the early days, Rasah had tin mines and rubber plantations, where large numbers of Chinese labourers sought employment. The Malayan Emergency was declared by the British in Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia) on 18th June 1948, they viewed the Chinese as a threat to public security, and intended to carry out forced deportation. Chinese settlers in rural Seremban, namely Ulu Temiang and Sikamat, bore the brunt. Fortunately prominent Chinese community leaders carried out negotiations with the British, and agreed on establishing a re-settlement area in Seremban for the Chinese to rebuild their homes.
In 1951, the re-settlement area was affected by floods, and had to move to higher grounds nearby, where Kampung Baru Rasah currently stands. The layout of the new village was meticulously planned by the British, comprising residences, police station, schools etc. Residential plots sized 40ft x 100ft were marked by four cement poles, labelled with numbers, and allocated through a draw. Then, residents may construct their own houses.
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