Welcome to a trilingual blog about Flowerboards, by Cantonese in Ireland (www.cantoneseireland.ie). Flowerboards are an important feature of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage. Read on to understand what flowerboards are, why and how they are made, and see a few that featured in St Patrick’s Day parades!
What are flowerboards?
Flowerboards are used for ‘for celebrating deities’ birthdays, new building inaugurations and shop openings’ and so on. According to HK Intangible Cultural Heritage Database, underneath are various functions of Flowerboards:
- Advertisements
- Announcements
- Greetings
- Social Religious
- Celebrations
- Funerals: traditionally, the phoenix is replaced by the bat.
花牌嘅作用
花牌用於慶祝神靈嘅生日、建築落成典禮同埋商店開幕。根據香港非物質文化遺產資料庫，花牌嘅作用在於︰
• 廣告
• 公告
• 問候
• 社會宗教活動
• 慶祝活動
• 葬禮：傳統上，葬禮用嘅花牌會用蝙蝠取代鳳凰。
Feidhmeanna na mBláthchlár
Úsáidtear cláir bláthanna le haghaidh lá breithe na ndéithe, insealbhaithe foirgnimh nua agus chun siopaí a oscailt.’ (Bunachar Sonraí Oidhreacht Chultúrtha Doláimhsithe HK)
- Fógraí
- Fógraí
- Beannachtaí
- Creideamh Sóisialta
- Ceiliúradh
- Sochraidí: go traidisiúnta, cuirtear an ialtóg in ionad an Fhionnuisce.
Components of Flowerboards and their symbolic meanings
The phoenix is an imaginary creature and an auspicious symbol that wishes of people would come true.
The triangular top of the flowerboard means rising high.
The dragon is an imaginary creature that is kind, helpful and powerful.
The trapezium bottom looks like a treasure bowl collecting jewellery and money.
The stretched-out red fabric looks like a bat stretching out its wings. In Cantonese, bat 蝠 and blessing 福 homophones, pronounce as fuk1.
鳳凰係一種虛構嘅生物，寓意吉祥及願望得以實現。
花牌嘅三角形頂部寓意步步高昇。
龍亦係一種虛構嘅生物，象徵善良、樂於助人及力量強大。
梯形底部望落好似收藏珠寶同金錢嘅聚寶盆。 伸展嘅紅色布料望過去似一隻蝙蝠展開翅膀。蝙蝠嘅「蝠」同祝福嘅「福」同音，所以紅布寓意福氣。
Is créatúr samhailteach é an Fhionnuisce agus siombail ionmholta a thiocfadh le mianta daoine a thabhairt chun críche.
Ciallaíonn barr triantánach an chláir bláthanna ardú ard.
Is créatúr samhailteach é an dragan atá cineálta, cabhrach agus cumhachtach.
Breathnaíonn an bun trapezoide cosúil le babhla taisce a bhailíonn seodra agus airgead.
Breathnaíonn an fabraic dearg sínte cosúil le sciathán leathair ag síneadh amach a sciatháin. As Cantainis, bat 蝠 and beannacht 福 homafón, fhuaimniú fuk1.
Making flowerboards in Cork City Library
In workshops in Cork City Library on 22nd and 23rd September 2023, participants of all ages got the opportunities to learn about the unique artwork of flowerboards and re-create this beautiful flowerboard.
2023 年 9 月 22 號至 23 號，粵語愛爾蘭喺高基市圖書館舉行咗一個工作坊。唔同年齡層嘅參與者都有機會了解獨特嘅花牌藝術，並一齊創作花牌。
Sna ceardlanna i Leabharlann Chathair Chorcaí ar 22 agus 23 Meán Fómhair 2023, fuair rannpháirtithe de gach aois deiseanna chun foghlaim faoin saothar ealaíne uathúil de chláir bláthanna agus an clár bláthanna álainn seo a athchruthú.
The audience is listening carefully to the presentation on flowerboards.
觀眾正細心聆聽關於花牌嘅講解。
Tá an lucht féachana ag éisteacht go cúramach leis an gcur i láthair.
Colouring the template to personalise the flowerboard.
為模牌添上顏色，創作屬於自己嘅花牌。
An teimpléad a dhathú chun an clár bláthanna a phearsantú.
Participants learn about the components of the flowerboard through personalising the flowerboard template.
參加者透過製作自己嘅花牌，了解花牌嘅組成部分
Foghlaimíonn na rannpháirtithe faoi chomhpháirteanna an chláir bláthanna trí theimpléad an chláir bláthanna a phearsantú.
The process of creation can be messy but it is fun!
創作嘅過程可能會亂啲，不過非常有樂趣嘅！
Is féidir leis an bpróiseas cruthaithe a bheith messy ach tá sé spraoi!
Cutting the template out.
剪出模板。
An teimpléad a ghearradh amach.
You can have all sorts of greetings! Then we place the template onto a thicker board.
寫上各種祝福語後，我哋將模板放喺一張厚啲嘅紙牌上。
Is féidir gach cineál beannachtaí a bheith agat! Ansin cuirimid an teimpléad ar chlár níos tiús.
Stapling the red fabric onto the artwork.
用釘書機將紅色布固定喺藝術品上。 An fabraic dearg a stápláil ar an saothar ealaíne
Putting on the double-sided cellotape so to put on decorations around the red fabric.
貼上雙面膠紙，咁樣就可以用紅布綑邊裝飾花牌。
Ag cur ar an ceallafán dhá thaobh ionas go gcuirfí ar mhaisiúcháin timpeall na fabraice dearg.
Now we decorate the board with the metallic gift bows.
依家我哋用金屬禮物彩帶裝飾花牌。
Anois déanaimid an bord a mhaisiú leis na bows bronntanais mhiotalacha.
Decorating the personalised flowerboard with stickers.
用貼紙裝飾花牌。
An clár bláthanna pearsanta a mhaisiú le greamáin.
Birthday Party Invitation: Such a great improvisation of traditional flowerboard artwork into our daily life use.
生日派對邀請卡: 將傳統花牌藝術巧妙咁融入日常生活中。
Cuireadh Cóisir Breithlá : A leithéid de tobchumadh iontach ar shaothar ealaíne boird bláthanna traidisiúnta isteach inár saol laethúil.
Look at our artworks!
睇吓我哋嘅藝術成品！
Féach ar ár saothair ealaíne!
Challenge accepted! Let’s do the flowerboard in a little bit more traditional way. Starting from building the bamboo frame.
好！我哋接受挑戰︰以更傳統嘅方式製作花牌。咁就先從建造竹框架開始啦。
Glactar leis an dúshlán! Déanaimis an clár bláthanna ar bhealach beagán níos traidisiúnta. Ag tosú ó thógáil an fhráma bambú.
Traditionally, flowerboard artists use metal wire to tie the bamboo sticks together. We use cable ties instead.
傳統上，花牌藝術家會用金屬線將竹條綁埋一齊。我哋改用紮帶代替。
Go traidisiúnta, úsáideann ealaíontóirí boird bláthanna sreang miotail chun na bataí bambú a cheangal le chéile. Bainimid úsáid as ceangail cábla ina ionad.
Folding the flowers in the traditional way. We cannot find the metallic foils that are usually used to make the flowers, so we adapt and use metallic foil paper.
以傳統方式摺疊花朵。 我哋喺愛爾蘭搵唔到一般用嚟製作花朵嘅金屬箔，所以我哋變招用閃光紙代替。
Fillte na bláthanna ar an mbealach traidisiúnta. Ní féidir linn teacht ar na scragaill mhiotalacha a úsáidtear de ghnáth chun na bláthanna a dhéanamh, agus mar sin déanaimid páipéar scragall miotalach a oiriúnú agus a úsáid.
Putting the lights bulbs through the holes.
將燈泡穿過孔洞。
Ag cur na bolgáin solais trí na poill.
Fixing the red fabric.
固定紅色布料。
An fabraic dearg a shocrú.
大功告成！ 「慶祝粵語文化：學習文化 弘揚粵語」
多謝我哋嘅藝術導師Irene Yip。
Jab déanta! ‘Cultúr Cantainis a Cheiliúradh: Foghlaim an cultúr. Labhair an teanga’ Míle buíochas lenár dTeagascóir Ealaíne Irene Yip.
Art Instructor
Ár dTeagascóir Ealaíne:
Oi Lin Irene Yip
葉愛蓮
Irene is a multi-talented artist from Hong Kong. She moved to Ireland with her Irish husband and child in 2020. She specialises in hand-crafting silk flowers on millinery pieces and millinery teachingShe is interested in storytelling and history and she hopes to introduce traditional Asian aesthetics to the community through storytelling, crafting and teaching.
https://www.facebook.com/ireneyipmillinery
Irene多才多藝﹐喺一位嚟自香港嘅藝術家。佢於 2020 年同愛爾蘭丈夫及孩子搬到嚟愛爾蘭居住。佢擅長製作絲花及帽飾教學。佢對故事演說及歷史感興趣，希望透過講故事、手工同埋教學向社區介紹傳統嘅亞洲美學。 Is ealaíontóir ildánach as Hong Cong í Irene. Bhog sí go hÉirinn lena fear céile agus a leanbh Éireannach in 2020. Déanann sí speisialú i ndéantúsaíocht lámhdhéanta ar bhláthanna síoda ar phíosaí muilleoireachta agus i dteagasc na muilleoireachta. Tá suim aici sa scéalaíocht agus sa stair agus tá súil aici aeistéitic thraidisiúnta na hÁise a chur in aithne don phobal trí scéalaíocht, ceardaíocht agus teagasc.
Photographer
我哋嘅攝影師
Ár Grianghrafadóir
Louis Tang
Louis, a German-born Cantonese, moved to the UK in as a teenager, and now lives in Ireland. He is one of the only east Asian commercial photographers in Ireland.
Louis係一位出生於德國嘅粵語人，少年時代隨家人移居英國，現居於愛爾蘭。佢現時係愛爾蘭其中一位少數東亞裔商業攝影師。
Thit Louis, Cantaineach a rugadh sa Ghearmáin, go dtí an RA agus é ina dhéagóir, agus tá cónaí air in Éirinn anois. Tá sé ar cheann de na grianghrafadóirí tráchtála oirthear na hÁise in Éirinn.