GEORGE TOWN, Aug. 29 -- With practised hands, a worker presses a thick brown layer of joss and wood paste mix around a long wooden stick that towered above her.

She slowly swivels the stick as she presses the paste onto the stick, making sure it formed an even cylindrical shape.

Behind her are rows of the giant joss sticks, stretching up to 12 feet, waiting to dry before another layer is applied.

This is the Hock Chye Heong Joss Stick factory and workshop, tucked in a small village in Kubang Semang, where thousands of dragon joss sticks are produced over a four-month period.

Long-standing traditions

The owner, Ong Chin Chye, has been crafting these giant joss sticks, that ranges from two feet high up to 20 feet, for over 40 years.

T...