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Exchange a model for a television set

The Young Reporter (1994, January 17), 26(04), pp. 6.
Author: Chris Cheng.
Permanent URL - https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/bujspa/purl.php?&did=bujspa0001993

By CHRIS CHENG

WHAT can a retired man do to kill his time? Spend all day playing chess with old men in the park? Watching TV at home day and night?

These may be the formal life of many retired men, but it is not the case of Mr Wong Wing.

Mr Wong, 76, spends most of his time constructing his favourite models.

“I love every model I made because all of them contain my spirit and my effort,” said Mr Wong.

When Mr Wong was still young in 1949, he had chosen a high paid job as a sailor, and has worked for nearly 38 years. From his job, he found his hobby — making ship models. So, in 1986, after retirement, he started to make models.

He lives in a 40 square feet room which is full of his models. They are placed on the bed, on the table, on floor, and even in the wardrobe.

All his models are made of hard paper. He said he had to spend approximately a week’s time to finish a small model.

Some big models such as tankers and merchant-ships, might even cost him more than one month to complete.

“I enjoy the whole model-making process, from buying materials, drawing, cutting paper to painting. It is very mind-consuming but is very enjoyable,” Mr Wong said.

His models are not only confined to ships. He also makes fishes, birds, and buses models. Now, he already has 15 ships, two buses and 40 birds and fishes.

His largest model is a ship that is 90x30x72cm, and the smallest one is a bird that is 15x5x10cm.

Mr Wong not only constructs models, he also pays serious attention to the decoration inside, such as seats, stairs, chairs, toilets and beds.

A ship, for instance, has at least over a hundred seats and he has to make them one by one.

It is time-consuming, but the products are very beautiful. It is not exaggerating to grant his models as artistry.

Mr Wong’s hobby has aroused other people’s interest. Many companies, like KMB, have invited him to make models for them before.

Mr Wong said the production cost of each model depended on its size.

For example, the cost of a large tanker is around $100-$150. But it is quite difficult for him to afford that much since he no longer works and receives little income.

Mr Wong depends on public assistance and old age allowances, which is about $1,800 a month for living.

However, his models sometimes bring him profits. For instance, he used one of his models to exchange for a TV set with a foreigner several years ago.

But Mr Wong does not tend to make profits by making models. He said that he was willing to donate his models for auction to help poor people.

The up-set-price should be at least $50,000 for one model, he added.

“If I sell my models, I will donate all the money to charitable associations to help needy people. I will not keep one cent at all,” Mr Wong said generously.

In April last year, his works had exhibited in a charitable activity and got great applause. This encourages him to held an exhibition by himself.

He said he would realise his hope after he has constructed 20 more ships and 10 more buses.

Now, he has 14 ships reserved in the Hongkong Museum of Art.

Does he want to recruit students so that someone can inherit his wonderful model-making skills?

Mr Wong said that making models is very difficult.

In the past, a man had came and asked for his teaching in constructing models. But at last, the man found it too hard to learn and then gave up.

Mr Wong said that he was still willing to teach when somebody liked to learn and had perseverance.

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