Years as an Apprentice

The Early Stages of Learning

In 1977, at the age of 13, Master A-fa started working as an apprentice. At that time, apprentices learned skills from their master for at least three years and four months before they could graduate. The master often went to the temple to work, and the apprentices would follow the master around. Sometimes he would stay in the temple for several days with his personal tools and would not leave until the task of repairing the statue was completed. At that time, Master A-fa mainly worked with his master in various temples in Changhua and had no fixed residence. When he didn't need to live in the temple, he stayed at his master’s house to practice craftsmanship. Before formally starting work every day, the apprentice must prepare the tools and materials needed by the master in advance, such as carving knives, clay sculpture tools, and coloring supplies. Besides, an apprentice’s initial job was to clean the environment and keep it clean and tidy every day, in order to become familiar with the working environment and routine of statue sprucing. Therefore, he had to clean the house before starting work every morning, and he also had to clean up after finishing work in the evening before resting.

As an apprentice, when he first learned the craftsmanship, most of his work consisted of doing odd jobs and observing others. When the master was working, the apprentice was responsible for preparing materials. After the apprentice slowly got into the situation, the master began to teach the apprentice simpler tasks such as sanding paper. Through the practice of basic craft such as modifying and smoothing wood, apprentices can improve their understanding of materials and practice their skills step by step. Only after they are proficient with skills can they have the opportunity to take on more difficult tasks, which is to prevent beginners from accidentally wasting materials.