Have you ever seen giant, colorful figures walking around Taiwan’s streets? Have you wondered how they are made? A young craftsman from Chiayi shows us some of his skills.
Making bamboo frames for ceremonial figures is no easy feat. The bamboo has to be split apart, cut to length, and shaped over fire to the desired angle.
Shi Sheng-teng is working on a frame in his workshop. Each step takes a long time, and Shi sweats profusely in the hot interior. Putting together a figure can take two or three days.
He says in the mountains one has to look out for snakes, and not mind mosquito bites.
He has to go to the mountains to pick the bamboo for every new project, so snakes and mosquitoes have become familiar things to him. He then needs to wash, split and scrape the bamboo in muggy southern weather, risking injury at every step.
24-year-old Shi says he’s been working with his father since he was a teenager, learning the craft. Five years ago he decided to take over the workshop in Shuishang Township in the southern county of Chia-yi. He is the fourth-generation proprietor of the business that has an over 100 year history.
He says the most unusual project he’s done was the lifelike figure of a Japanese samurai, currently on display in Thailand.
The 24-year-old is ambitious, creative, and dedicated to his craft, which helps him win over clients. He hopes he can carry his craft into the future.