By Rainbow Lao

Journalist: “How old are you?"

Mr. Tam: “Believe it or not, I’m 61 years old." Looking much younger than his age, he took out his personal ID immediately, and laughed.

Journalist: “When would you like to retire?"

“I won’t stop working until I can’t work," he emphasized.

Mr. Tam, the owner of Weng Heng Cheng Incense (?????), started his incense making career at the age of eight, and has been running the business for more than 40 years. Nevertheless, being devoted to the business, Tam said that the future of this incense industry is not optimistic in Macao.

During the 50s to 70s, production of firecrackers, matches and incense formed the three biggest and most important traditional industries in Macao. The impact on Macao could be comparable to that of the gambling industry in our age. As time went by, the firecracker and match industries no long existed in Macao, and the incense making is the only one which is still struggling to survive in this glory century.

Tam’s shop is filled with different kinds of incense, with a congratulating plaque hanging in the corner, which was given by a friend of Tam’s father’s when the shop was established in 1968; and an old radio, Tam’s only “friend" in the shop.

Working every day from 8 am to 7 pm, there is no holiday in his shop, not even for the Chinese Lunar New Year. However, it is not making Tam a fortune for working “400 days" a year as he said.

“My life is very simple, it’s all for work, for a better life. Although the industry is going down and it’s not making me a fortune, it’s the only thing I know the best; and I never feel bored or tired because it’s my own business," said Tam. “Of course I can just close the shop for a few days, take a rest or go traveling, it’s not a big deal; but if you want a better life you can’t slack off on your career," Tam smiled.

In the old days, Buddhism was the biggest religion in China. For ancestor-worship, people burned thousands of incense sticks every day. Despite the fact that most of the new generation do not do anything about the worship nowadays, Tam’s shop still gets some loyal customers who come from Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taiwan and even some foreign countries.

He took out a photo and explained very proudly, “The photo was taken here more than 10 years ago, my father and the Portuguese Prime Minister, who came to visit here once."