Page 168 - 來學華語課本第五冊

Lesson 10 木雕與油紙傘

英文課文 Text in English

Sanyi, located in Miaoli County, Taiwan, is a place with many mountains and
abundant forests, particularly camphor trees, so it became a major foundation for the
development of the woodcarving craft. Sanyi woodcarving developed from the Japanese

colonial period over more than a century. Early on, carving primarily focused on figurines of
deities to meet religious needs. From the 1960s onward, with the economic boom and rising
public demand for art, woodcarving gradually developed from religious objects into diverse

art forms, with themes such as flowers and birds, animals, human figures, and landscapes.
In the 1980s, the government promoted local cultural development. Sanyi officially became

the Hometown of Woodcarving, and a woodcarving museum was established to collect
numerous outstanding works and attract more artists to Sanyi.
A feature of Sanyi woodcarvings is the choice of using camphorwood, a material

not susceptible to decay and which bears a natural fragrance, making it suitable for carving.
Sanyi woodcarvings, whether they be of traditional deities or modern artworks, display

meticulous craftsmanship, blending traditional religious sculpting with modern creativity,
thus they are extraordinarily popular. In addition, Sanyi’s woodcarving art, combined with
local tourism, offers visitors easy access to this sort of traditional craft through museum

exhibitions, sales of woodcarving products, and DIY workshops, demonstrating the
integration of culture and industry.
Oil-paper umbrellas are a unique craft of the Meinong Hakka District of Kaohsiung.

During the Qing Dynasty, immigrants from Quanzhou and Zhangzhou in Fujian Province
brought the art of oil-paper umbrella making to Taiwan. Early on, oil-paper umbrellas were
daily necessities for protection from both sun and rain, and they were also important items

that symbolized good fortune and fulfillment at weddings and other celebrations.
Because Meinong's climate is suitable for growing bamboo, the local Hakka people

use it to make oil-paper umbrellas. Bamboo is used for the umbrella ribs and cotton paper
for the umbrella canopy, which is then coated with tung oil for waterproofing. Various
designs are featured on the umbrella canopy, the most appealing of which are peonies,

dragons and phoenixes, as well as birds and flowers. Oil-paper umbrellas made with Hakka
diligence and meticulousness are not only sturdy and practical, but also possess cultural and

artistic value.
However, from the 1950s onward, due to the appearance of plastic umbrellas,
demand for oil-paper umbrellas waned, and the traditional craft gradually died out. In recent

years, with government promotion, Meinong oil-paper umbrellas have become both a craft

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