Staying true to tradition

Details that matter: Koh putting the final touches to a Tai Su Yeah effigy that is made out of papier-mache and reinforced with bamboo framework at his shop in Gat Lebuh Macallum in George Town. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: With the Hungry Ghost Festival starting today, one of the last remaining effigy makers here is keeping to tradition in his work.

Koh Eng Keat, a fourth-gene­ration craftsman, said the head of the King of Hades (Tai Su Yeah in Hokkien) effigy – typically a towering and striking figure – is constructed using papier-mache.