ALOR SETAR: A giant effigy of the King of Hell (Tai Su Yeah in Hokkien) made it to the Malaysian Book of Records for being the largest in the country.Standing at 12.98m (or the height of a four-storey building), this fearsome Chinese deity, with a cobalt visage and a pair of long fangs jutting out from its lower jaw, took Gan Kheng Leong, 62, a month to build.
Gan said this was also the heaviest Tai Su Yeah effigy he had ever created with help from his family members and workers.
His initial plan, he said, was to make a 12.2m-tall effigy.
“The head itself stands at 4.8m-tall.
“(So) I had to extend its height to keep the body in proportion with the head,” he explained, adding that he also used plywood after he ran out of rattan.
Gan was glad that he completed the statue ahead of schedule despite minor setbacks.
The paper statue created for the Hungry Ghost Festival is now on display at the Tow Boo Keong Temple in Mergong near here.
A Malaysian Book of Records certificate will be presented to the temple tonight.
Massive: Devotees visiting the Tow Boo Keong Temple in Mergong, Kedah, to get a glimpse of the Tai Su Yeah effigy. - G.C. TAN/The Star
Gan was tasked to make the temple’s Tai Su Yeah effigy for eight consecutive years.
“I increased the height of the effigy by a few inches every year to symbolise continuing improvement.
“Previously, the eyes of this deity of Hell looked straight into the distance but this year, I made them looked down upon us.
“Let Tai Su Yeah look at us and bless us with health and wealth throughout the year,” he added.
Another impressive Hungry Ghost paraphernalia at the temple are 200 sets of giant “dragon robes”, which came in 10 colours.
The outfits, each measu- ring 3.8m-long and 3.2m-wide, come complete with shoes, hats and belts.
They were purchased by Tai Su Yeah devotees
Lee Seng Charng, 40, said his father Han Geok and about 10 family members spent nearly three months completing the order.
“Tai Su Yeah can now change into a new robe almost every day.
“In previous years, there were only orders for seven or eight dragon robes,” he added.
