Nestled among a row of mostly bars in Neil Road sits an old shop, and one steeped in history.

Unlike other establishments with their bright lights and neon signs, a wooden signboard embossed with three gold-painted Chinese characters displays its name.

Probably unknown to many, Say Tian Hng Buddha Shop is the last surviving effigy shop in Singapore.

Inside, statues of the various Taoist deities are displayed on floor-to-ceiling shelves.

Madam Tan Chwee Lian, 87, runs the shop with her son, Mr Ng Yeow Hua, 65, the second of her seven children.

Married at 18 and now a great-grandmother, the soft-spoken octogenarian learnt how to make the mythological figures from her late husband. He himself had honed his skills by watching his father, who started the business in 1896.

The painstaking art of effigy-making starts with a wood block which is first carved into the likeness of a certain deity. The sculpture is then hand-painted and emblazoned with different symbolic motifs using bamboo brushes and a special type of dough. The whole process takes about a month to complete.

With cheaper, mass-produced statues of the deities flooding the market, the shop is joining a growing list of vanishing trades.

Mr Ng's 38-year-old son Tze Yong, who grew up in the shophouse, is hard pressed to keep the business sustainable.

"It has always been at the back of my mind, what is going to happen to it (the shop) eventually," said the younger Mr Ng, who is the chief executive of a local charity group, Equal-Ark.

Using the Airbnb Experiences platform, he and his family started running workshops out of Say Tian Hng eight months ago.

Those who sign up are given a rare behind-the-scenes look at the art of effigy-making, with some hands-on experience included.

During the two-hour session, at $48 per person, the younger Mr Ng introduces participants to the various deities, among other things, before Madam Tan shows them one part of the process, such as drawing and outlining a dragon motif.

Keeping alive a vanishing art: The Say Tiang Hng Buddha Shop has been around for 122 years, and is Singapore's last remaining hand-made effigy shop. Madam Tan Chwee Lian, 87, who is seen here working on an effigy, runs the shop with one of her sons. Her biggest wish is that the business can continue through the generations. Meanwhile, to help others learn about this unique part of Singapore's heritage, the family runs a workshop for locals and tourists alike on effigy-making, using the Airbnb Experiences platform. ST PHOTO: JAMIE KOH

The participants then have a go, using traditional tools to outline the motif on a small wooden slab.

Apart from the workshops, Mr Ng and his younger brother Tze Chong, 35, spend an hour a week with their grandmother to learn more about the trade from her.

Through the efforts of the Ng family, Singaporeans and tourists get to experience and find out about a part of Singapore's cultural heritage.

Summing up the family sentiments, Mr Ng Tze Yong said: "My hope for the future of the shop is for us to find a way for it to continue sustainably."

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The art of effigy making: http://str.sg/owfM