Bamboo street’s bamboo and rattan handicrafts

When I first started writing this blog, I was slightly reluctant and hesitant. Although I love to share with people, sharing with the public about my life and inner thoughts seem slightly out of my character.

However, over the time I have learned to use this as a platform to express my view points and feelings, to support other businesses or people, and most of all, to record events, old traditions or crafts that are slowing disappearing in our fast-paced and technology-driven world.

In Kaohsiung I saw a city that is developing quite rapidly and as always, there are prices to pay for this too. A local friend wanted to show us their local crafts stores that she thinks are likely to disappear in the future, and so I felt compelled to record what might become history one day.

Will these shops still be there in 10 years’ time?

Known as “Bamboo Street”, these old traditional shops have been here for generations, and they still make handcrafted products like they did in the past ( including old raincoats and wedding baskets). We spent over an hour chatting to different shop owners, taking photographs and buying handcrafted souvenirs to bring home.

We later learned that one of the owner’s daughter lives in New York and is not prepared to move back nor take over the family business. And surprisingly, he told us that some of their products are actually made in Vietnam or other developing countries because this trade is withering in Taiwan and young people would rather work in offices than to learn and make traditional crafts as living. It saddens me to hear this but I am also aware that it is the reality in our modern day society.

Bamboo steamers and wooden bathtubs and buckets shop

Even though I know that there are some Taiwanese designers who are using traditional craft techniques to design new sustainable furniture and products, but is it enough to keep the industry alive in the future? This I am not so sure of. I can only hope that these traditional skills or techniques will be passed on eventually and not be all lost one day.