147, Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling, George Town

Beautiful and intricate, Soon Ah Lean’s flowers are unlike the fresh blooms that dot the Botanic Gardens but they do share a similarity – the 89-year-old great grandmother’s paper flowers are a kaleidoscope of colours. Ironically though, these flowers (with gold or silver leaves) are called Kim Hua (literally translated to mean gold flower in the Chinese Hokkien dialect).

The petals are made from white paper that has been dyed in different hues while gold and silver paper is used to make the leaves. Bridegrooms send the bouquet to their in-laws just before Chinese New Year along with other gifts. Chinese temples and clan houses also order the hand-made Kim Hua for their altars especially during special religious ceremonies or festivals.

Soon undertakes the laborious task at her prayer paraphernalia shophouse in the George Town heritage enclave. Sadly, she is probably the only surviving person making them in Penang now.

Stringing the paper petal cut-outs on a thin wire to make the flowers and then wrapping the wire in sugar paper, is no walk in the park although the art has become second nature to her.

The metal moulds used to make the petals are almost as old as the craft. Using a makeshift “hammer” (a mere tree branch to the untrained eye) and a block of timber, Soon gets started. A common rubber slipper is used as base while a needle like instrument is used to create the petal’s curves.

The dyed petals are later coated in hot melted wax and dried over a stove to prevent the colours from fading (apparently, drying it in the sun will cause the colours to fade).

Soon, who learnt the craft from her late husband when she was a young 23-year-old, raised their family on income made from her craft. These days, making the flowers is just a past time – orders aren’t what they used to be anymore. To pass her time, Soon also makes simpler paper flowers which are stuck on the mee koo (a traditional tortoise shaped bun).

A pair of Kim Hua arrangements which are about 2.1m tall and has 21 paper flowers each are sold at about RM400. Smaller arrangements are RM100 per pair. The arrangements can d last up to three years.

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