Hong Kong magician Louis Yan: 'I love doing things with pigeons'

Hong Kong leading magician Louis Yan has a way with pigeons, beyond the usual trick of making them disappear. His talent for doing strange and innovative things to pigeons, such as transforming them into a small burst of fireworks or a pipe, has won him awards from international competitions and applause from local audiences. 

Louis is the first person from Hong Kong to win the Abbott International Magic Competition in the United States and the Hungary 6th Joker Magic International Stage Magic Competition. We caught him backstage after he performed his award-winning pigeon routine at TEDxHong Kong for a quick chat.

CNNGo: Why become a magician?

Louis Yan: I picked up the hobby at university about seven, eight years ago. I joined my university’s magic club out of curiosity, and fell in love with magic. Before I graduated, I decided to give myself two years to turn pro. If it all goes to pot, I was going to find a job in marketing or sales.

In the end, I stuck to it because I felt I could do it.

CNNGo: What's a great magic trick to impress girls? 

Yan: Whenever I perform, both girls and guys will be impressed! When I’m at a bar having drinks, I’d do simple magic tricks -- like tearing up a napkin and making it whole again, or playing around with rubber bands. A lot of people like that. 

CNNGo: Have you ever done a show in public that totally bombed?

Yan: It was my first public performance, and I was supposed to cut up a string and put it back together again. But I was so nervous that I cut deep into my flesh instead! My finger was dripping with blood, and the blood seeped into the string, turning it red. I guess you could call it two tricks in one -- changing form and color! 

Then there would be occasions where I want to perform a trick to make an object appear -- and then discover that I left the object at home. Or I’d be doing tricks with a deck of cards and the cards would fall on the floor. In hot, humid places like Hong Kong that’s bound to happen, because your hand tends to get sticky with sweat, making deft movements harder. 

Every magician has to learn to hide their mistakes and improvise, so that no one knows except for himself or herself. I make sure I always have backup props at hand. 

CNNGo: What public figure would make a great magician?

Yan: Andy Lau would make a great magician. It’s important for magicians to have showmanship, a distinctive flair in your presentation. Everything about Andy Lau is a trademark -- his gaze, his body language, his laughter. 

Another one I’d pick is Long Hair. He really stands out and he can be a great comedic magician.

CNNGo: Do you think it’s hard to impress Hong Kongers with magic? We’re known to be a cynical bunch.

Yan: When I first started, Hong Kong audiences were pretty tough to crack. I’d perform in restaurants and people would ignore me, or tell me to go away.

In recent years it's gotten better, people are starting to form the habit of attending shows and paying attention to arts and culture. Magicians are in greater demand in product launch parties and company annual dinners. 

But it’s still a long way off from the reception I get from audiences in the West. They're used to patronizing the arts in their leisure time. Most Hong Kongers watch a movie during weekends. 

CNNGo: What’s your favorite trick?

Yan: It may sound very basic, but I love doing things with pigeons. The audience usually has a very strong response to when you perform magic on living things -- how can so many pigeons appear out of the blue? The sheer impossibility of the notion can leave a deep impression.

CNNGo: Are you working on any grand tricks right now?

Yan: I'm working on a series of illusion tricks on Hong Kong landmarks. The plan is to play with Hong Kong’s landmarks, like making the Big Buddha disappear, passing through the middle of IFC, or moving the flower at Golden Bauhinia Square. I’m still working on it; nothing is set in stone yet.

CNNGo: Where did you get your props?

Yan: Mostly I get my props online, at www.hocuspocus.com. In Hong Kong, there is a store in Mong Kok called Magic Region that I go to often as well.