Past Masters

Li Yi Sheng (李怡生), one of the favourite students of Feng Geng Chang (冯庚长), the widely-known "Cantonese Lion King", came to Singapore from He Shan Province, Tao Yuan Lu Dong, Guangzhou, around the period of 1900s. Together with fellow immigrants, he set up the first lion dance troupe in Singapore "Yi Yi Tong Lion Dance Troupe" and held the post of coach to pass on Feng's Hok San-styled lion dance. His favourite students were Lui Xin Yao (呂新堯) and He Shun (何顺).

After World War II, the late Lui continued to teach in the renamed "Hok San Clan Association" and imparted the skills to Liang Zhao Fu (梁肇富), Liang Ah Si (梁亚细), Li Xi Quan (李錫泉), Li Bing Hong (李炳鸿), Li Wen Zhong (李文忠), He Qi Cheng (何启成), Lui Yao Bing (呂耀斌). On the other hand, the late He Shun went on to coach Fu Rong Jing Wu Athletic Association, the People's Police Guard Cultural Troupe, Singapore Jing Wu Athletic Association in the 60s.



Late Master Liang Zhao Fu (梁肇富师傅)

The late Liang, the South-East Asian Drum King, came from Guang Dong in his younger days worked modestly in the clockwork business. He joined the rest in 1946 to learn Hok San-styled lion dance under the late Lui. His keenness in the Hok San-styled drumming prompted him to study the drums in depth which resulted in his creation of the "18 Continual Drumming Method" (连环十八路鼓法). Every Spring and Autumn Festival at Peck San Theng for praying of ancestors, he was always the preferred drummer for performances by Li Wen Zhong, He Qi Cheng and et cetera. Over decades of countless experimenting and experiences, he devised a way to play the drum in a way filled with not just rhythms but also gusto. The self-created three drums performance was one of his biggest achievements, for it gave him consecutive titles "South East Asian Drum King" in drumming competition comprising of participants from Singapore, Japan, Korea and others. The additional reporting by both local Chinese and English Press went on to consolidate the status of Hok San Drum King for Liang. Other than serving as the troupe leader of our clan, he also helped promoted Hok San-styled lion dance in the setting up of Yang Zheng Open Scouts Group and Hok Khiaw Athletic Association. He passed on in 1986.



Master Lui Yao Bing (呂耀斌师傅)

Lui is one of the well-known elder in the local lion dancing community. He came to Singapore from He Shan Province's Wei Deng Hua Liu Village in 1945 to seek a living. After learning from the late Lui Xin Yao together with his friends in 1946, he went on to become of the leading members in Hok San Association in the 50s and 60s and held the position of lion dance coach. Lui was the lion dance consultant of our troupe for many years until his passing in 2009 this year.



Late Master He Qi Cheng (何启成师傅)

The late He arrived in Singapore in 1934 from China in search of a better living. He worked in the printing industry for years before joining his friends to learn Hok San-styled lion dance under Lui Xin Yao in 1946. He specialised in Feng's creation of cat movement in lion dance such as being able to display close resemblance of a real cat when the lion was teasing with the ball. The late master was able to incorporate happiness, anger, astonishment, joy, suspense, sleepiness, being drunk and waking up these eight movements into the paper-made lion. He was also the first person to reduce the originally heavy lion head by half of its weight and shorten the tail of the Hok San lion so as to let it looks like a lion as real as possible. Before his passing, he was our troupe's Lion Dance Consultant and contributed significantly as a committed member.



Late Master Li Wen Zhong (李文忠师傅)

The late Li, from He San Province Guangzhou, was a humble and polite man working in the soya sauce industry in his early years. Because of his admiration for Hok San-styled lion dance, he joined the rest of his friends in learning from the late Lui in 1946. Under close mentoring by the late master, Li was able to perform brilliantly in segments such as "Leaving the Cave" (出洞), "Ascending the Mountain" (登山), "Descending Horizon" (落平阳), also known as the second version of "Hang Gai Xi", "Crossing Bridge" (过桥), "Leaving Forest" (出丛林) et cetera. He was also a master in Martial Arts with his forte being the "Cai Yang Sabre". Unfortunately, he passed on in 1993 after serving the clan as one of the best members in the 40s and 50s.