Have been saving up on updates- here comes a whole series. We are doing new and different things.
For our latest project, we are working with Diamond Cab to make sedan chairs for disabled people – the project is called Diamond Sedan!
For those who don’t know, Diamond Cab is a local barrier free taxi company that offers specialised transportation services to wheelchair users.
Diamond Sedan will be the second phase of Diamond Cab – they are now offering barrier free access to Hong Kong’s country parks. The disabled are usually precluded from these beautiful parks as the rugged terrain makes them impassible to wheelchairs. This is where the sedan chairs come in.
Everyone remembers sedan chairs as part of Hong Kong’s past – along with rickshaws they were HK’s proto-taxis. We’ve combined old school sedan chair know-how with modern materials and technology.
We started by interviewing an 80 year old former sedan chair bearer, Auntie Bao. Auntie Bao once made her living by carrying sedan chairs, with her friends, from Tung Chung to Tai O. That’s a 3 hour journey up and down hill!
Auntie Bao was able to explain how sedan chairs used to be made and out of what materials. She also told us about sedan chair carrying technique and attire. We've learned all about tradition and technique from her - now we're going to blend them with modern materials. Let's see what happens.