By CHRISTINA LOW
christinalow@thestar.com.my
THESE days, lanterns come in various shapes and designs. Most often they are made out of colourful papers which may only last a night, while the lucky ones are privileged enough to own the battery-operated ones bought at department stores.
However, for Ling Hai Chong, his first lantern was not a paper lantern but instead one that was made out of a tin can which is no longer seen by anyone these days.
The 50-year-old carpenter said he first saw the tin-can lantern during the days when he lived in Behrang, Perak.
“My neighbour was busy making it for the Mid-Autumn Festival and I was curious how he can turn a normal tin into something so nice for the children to play with,” said Ling.
Variety of use: After the Mid-Autumn Festival, these lanterns can be used as a decorative ornament and can be placed anywhere around the house. ( Source: The Star )
After paying close attention to how it was made, Ling said he went out to search for used tin cans to try his hand at making the lanterns himself.“It was just trial and error, after trying a few times, I finally got it right just by watching,” said Ling who now lives in Rasah.
During a recent interview in Subang Jaya, Ling said the lantern he made usually had rollers made out of smaller cans, just so when the lantern was played by pushing it on the ground, it would make sounds.
“We want to have the sound because it signifies that everyone is enjoying the feasting and having a wonderful time,” said Ling who also demonstrated how the lanterns were made.
Armed with a used large round tin in hand, it took the carpenter just 30 minutes to complete the task with minimal tools such as a hammer, measuring tape, scraper, wire cuter, pliers, ruler and a small-sized piece of wood.
Although making lanterns is just a hobby, Ling said it had kept him busy.
He said for this year, he only started making lanterns for his young nieces and nephews some three months back and could only manage to make the lanterns during his free time.
Those who are interested to learn the art of making lanterns out of tin-cans can visit Ling at the Laman Sukan USJ 1, Subang Jaya at 7pm for its Lantern Festival Celebration. More photos on the making of a tin lantern at
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