| Community Outreach／2019-21 Shih Tzu Lai Community: Wild Sugar-root Grass
The “Shih Tzu Lai” community is a collective name for the three villages of Shih Cheng, Shih Lin, and Shih Hu in Danei District, Tainan City. It is situated right at the junction of hills and plains. As the Zengwen River flows downstream, it broadens in this area, depositing a riverbed full of gravel stones. Hence it was given the name: "Shih Tzu Lai”, which means “gravel shallows”.
The residents in the community include some Siraya people who have fully assimilated into the local Minnan culture. The residents are hospitable, hardworking and passionate. Most of them earn their living through farming, with Avocado cultivation being the main focus. They support and care for one another, and are often seen gathered together, demonstrating a strong sense of community spirit.
Under the Danei Bridge by the Zengwen River, the ground is covered with wild sugar-root grass, a perennial plant whose stems have segments and grow upright, ranging from 50 cm to 180 cm tall. Its flowering period is from July to November, forming a spectacular "September Snow (九月雪)" landscape—a famous scenic attraction for tourists in Tainan.
From 2019 to 2021, we partnered with the Shih Tzu Lai community residents to implement the "Local Plant Craft Studying" project. We researched and developed paper made from wild sugar-root grass fiber, and dye made with avocados. In 2020 and 2021, we provided guidance to the community team to develop the potential for micro-enterprises focused on the unique, local handicraft skills and techniques. Through this project, we hope to encourage more residents to apply the wild sugar-root grass fibers to a wider variety of use cases and designs, to help bring the possibility of local community-based micro-enterprises one step closer to reality.
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| Harvesting the Sugar-root Grass |
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| Danei District Residents Cutting and Preparing the Grass Fibers for use |
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| Sample of Handmade Sugar-root Grass Fiber Paper |
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Sample of Dyes made with Locally-grown Avocados and Sugar-root grass Fibers
 | | Danei Local Merchandise Design 1 |
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Danei Local Merchandise Design 2
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| Community Outreach／2019-23 Ecology Learning & Crafts, Duck Field Rice Farm
Yuanli, located in Miaoli County, is a coastal plain formed between the northern Dajia River and the Da'an River in Taiwan. It has long been known as the "rice granary of Miaoli." The Yuanli Alluvial Fan Plain Ecological and Cultural Development Association was founded in 2002 in response to the increased pollution and ecological damage to the agricultural environment in the area.
Headquartered in the Duck Field Rice Farm, the association is committed to developing organic farming methods, such as raising ducks in the rice fields to feed on the bugs and pests, cleansing the soil and the environment without resorting to the use of pesticides that releases harmful pollutants. The association has also been pushing for the transformation of the community into an ecological village that combines leisure and ecological education.
From 2019 to 2023, the association worked with employees of the Duck Field Rice Farm to implement the "Local Plant Craft Studying" project. In 2019, the association developed handmade paper produced using organic rice straw fiber. In 2020, it participated in the local Huoyan Mountain soil dyeing project to create plant-based dyes. Between 2021 and 2023, the project’s scope expanded to include hand-weaving, to craft organic rice straw into cup coasters, bags, and other household object designs. Through the development of new handicraft techniques, the association was able to provide handicraft courses that were more ecological and environmentally friendly, as well as to introduce creative, novel ways to use the fibers for different purposes and designs, in hopes of fostering a community-based micro-industry that highlights in the unique, local craftsmanship and heritage.
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| Huoyan Mountain Frame Weaving |
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| Huoyan Mountain Mud Dye Making Process |
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| Huoyan Mountain Mud Dyed Merchandise Design 1 |
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| Huoyan Mountain Mud Dyed Merchandise Design 2 |
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Organic Rice Fiber Processing and Loom Operation
 | | Huoyan Mountain Loom Creations Design 1 |
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| Huoyan Mountain Loom Creations Design 2 |
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| Four-color Checkered Bag Design |
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| Eight-color Checkered Bag Design |
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| Double-layered Rice Fiber "Harmonious" Design Sample (3 Bags) |
| Community Outreach／2020-22 Yongle Traditional Farmed Crops: Broom Corn
The Yongle Community is located in the southwest of Tainan's Xigang District. Before 1823, residents from mainland China's Zhangzhou (Xi County) began to immigrate across the sea to Taiwan. They negotiated with the indigenous fishermen who lived on the island’s shores to build housing in the area, gradually forming the "Dafenliao" settlement.
In 1823, the Zengwen River changed course for the first time, causing land to emerge from the Taijiang Inner Sea (臺江內海), which attracted more immigrants to come cultivate the land.
During the Japanese colonial period, this land belonged to the Dafenliao region of the Xigang Township. After World War II, the northern and southern lands of Dafenliao along the Zengwen River, and the Xipuliao region, were combined into one village. It was named "Yongle", which means “forever happy”, in hopes that the residents would always be safe and peaceful.
The local crop of the Yongle village, the broom corn, bears resemblance to the corn and sorghum. It was brought to the local area by Japanese merchants for cultivation, and remained one of the most economically important crops in the area until the 1960s and 70s. After the seeds ripen, the farmers will shear off the upper part of the stem, remove the seeds, and dry them under the sun to be used as animal feed. The stems are then used as weaving materials for handmade brooms. In recent years, the population of the Yongle Community has been in decline, with a rise in elderly residents, and dwindling young blood.
The "Local Plant Craft Studying" project was undertaken with the residents of Yongle Community from 2020 to 2022. In 2020, development began for handmade paper produced using broom corn plant fibers. In 2021, the papermaking process expanded to include the fibers of other local plants, as well as colored papers, made using plant-based dyes. In 2022, the project introduced hand-weaving, where the stems of the broom corn were weaved into coasters.
Through this project, we hope to encourage local residents to continue to cultivate the broom corn, and broaden the uses of its fibers for different purposes and designs, and ultimately explore the potential of creating a micro-industry defined by the unique craftsmanship skills and characteristics in the community.
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| Harvesting Broom Corn |
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| Cooking the Broom Corn to Extract the Fibers |
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| Mashing the Broom Corn Fibers into Lumps |
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| Local Residents Learning to Make Paper with the Processed Fibers |
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| Learning to Bind the Handmade Paper Sheets into Books |
| Local Plant Craft Studying
Since ancient times, human behavioral patterns have been closely associated with their surroundings. Therefore, human civilization has developed different crafting techniques and cultures based on their environmental conditions. Nowadays, many people that live in urban, man-made spaces have limited interactions with the natural environment, and are gradually losing a sense of connection to nature.
The value of handicraft creation is realized through the material aesthetics and meticulous craftsmanship of artisans, allowing us to experience the metaphysical inner sublimation in life. Through the practice of handicraft, one can gain valuable insights into the characteristics of various materials, and perhaps come to love and appreciate the sanctity of life.
In the teaching of fiber arts creation, I hope that the students’ learning will go beyond just understanding the properties of the plants and their fibers, but also recognizing the possibilities of applying fiber materials to their daily lifestyles, and developing further interest in the field of crafting. The objective of learning handicraft skills is not simply about becoming a craftsman, it is also about gaining an invaluable tool for self-expression.
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| 2022-23 School Campus Plant Craft Studying (Foundational Materials Course)
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| Foundational-level Plant Fiber Handicraft Creations 1 (Mulberry Fiber) |
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| Foundational-level Plant Fiber Handicraft Creations 2 (Mulberry Fiber) |
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| Foundational-level Plant Fiber Handicraft Creations (Lotus Stem) |
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| Foundational-level Plant Fiber Handicraft Creations (Final Product Images) |
| 2018 Shan Jiao Elementary School: Rush Grass Fiber Paper-making Workshop
Yuanli is the heartland of Taiwan’s traditional, hand-woven hat and mat industries. In the past, women from many households would work as rush grass weavers to make a living, and for most locals, the practice of weaving was a source of happiness for the whole family.
However, after the 1970s, Taiwan's industrial economy and lifestyle transformed rapidly, causing the hats and mats to lose their market appeal. In addition, most young, local women chose to work outside of Yuanli, instead of learning to weave rush. These factors led to the gradual decline of this century-old traditional handicraft industry.
The Shanjiao Community in Yuanli, like other rural communities in Taiwan, is facing problems of population outflow and aging. In 2019, we collaborated with Shan Jiao Elementary School to carry out the “Local Plant Craft Studying" project, an educational course for the students. They would collect leftover rush grass scraps from the aunties in the neighborhoods that weaved the hats and mats, and reuse them to make sheets of paper that were then bound into books.
Through this project, we hope to encourage the local children in Yuanli to learn and appreciate the importance of rush grass in the local area, to engage in dialogue with their elders about rush weaving through hands-on experiences, and to practice the concept of recycling and reusing materials for sustainable design creations.
| 2022 Dabang Elementary School ✕ Mountain Plants
The Dabang Elementary School in Alishan, Chiayi, is located upstream of the Zengwen River and the Sakura River. It is the first indigenous elementary school in Taiwan, and has a history of over 100 years. It is not only an educational institution for local children, but also a cultural hub for the Dabang (達邦) and Tefuye (特富野) tribes of the Tsou (鄒) indigenous people.
We partnered with the school to conduct the “Local Plant Craft Studying" workshop, which comprises weaving, dyeing, and extraction of plant fibers, enabling students to learn about the inseparable relationship between plants, the environment, and life, and to gain a deeper appreciation for the heritage of the various ethnic groups.
The three-day workshop involves: 1) Collecting wild local plants, namely mulberry and wild banana leaves, to learn about the characteristics of the local plant ecology and environment; 2) Cutting and cooking the plants, then washing and mashing them to extract the plant fibers, to learn about the fiber decomposition process that turns the plants into crafting materials; 3) Stamping the fiber material into sheets of paper, then hand-sewing them into notebooks, as souvenirs for the students and a tribute to the plants.
Through this workshop, we hope that the students will be able to enjoy working with, and learning about, the local plants and their fiber materials. This workshop also aims to provide college students with the opportunity to enter the community and explore the living environments, crafts, and cultures of different tribes in the region. Ultimately, we hope to inspire a new generation of creativity and nurture new life into Taiwan's handicraft culture.
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| Mountain Landscapes, Picking Mulberry Trees |
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| Dabang Elementary School Entrance and Students |
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Elementary School Students Carrying Banana Leaves, Documenting the Creation Process
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| 2023 Japanese Hana-Igusa Straw Mats ✕ Taiwan Yuanli Hand-woven Mats
In February 2023, we held a "Taiwanese Rush Weaving Workshop" at the Kurashiki Monogatarikan1 in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan, as part of a handicraft exchange exhibition between the Okayama Prefectural University (OPU) and our organization. The workshop introduced the participants to the traditional straw hat and mat weaving materials and techniques from Yuanli, Taiwan.
Taiwan and Japan share many climatic and geographical similarities. Through handicrafts, we were able to explore how similar materials were applied differently within the two cultures.
The southern region of the Okayama Prefecture in Japan, including Kurashiki, was once a shallow sea called "Kibi Senkai." The high salt content of the soil precluded rice cultivation, so cotton and rush grass were grown instead. As an example, the Hayajima Igusa (早島藺), a type of round rush, is cultivated here and used to make tatami mats. By adding dyed rush to create patterned mats, the "Hanagoza" mats were born and became a local specialty.
The Kinkan'en mats (錦菀莚) were developed by designer Isozaki Minki, who improved the structure of the jacquard loom to create exquisite, brocade-like jacquard straw mats.
The Taiwanese straw mat industry has a long history of over 300 years. Unlike Japan’s rush grass, the triangle rush grass grown in Yuanli, also known as the "Dajia grass" (大甲草), has a delicate and soft texture. It has traditionally been hand woven into hats and mats with a simple, natural design that emphasizes the handmade quality and characteristics, and are often regarded as precious gifts for families and friends.
1 The Kurashiki Monogatarikan Museum - Located at the entrance to Kurashiki’s scenic historic district, the museum opened in 2009 after renovations to the former residence of the Higashiohashi family (東大橋家) during the Edo period. The nagayamon gate, warehouses and surrounding streetscape atmosphere convey the iconic “Kurashiki style” architecture still seen today.
© 2023 Chia-Hui Lu
