Bet You Didn't See This Coming—The Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat in Lukang!
A hundred years ago, the Japanese were already fascinated by this craft! The Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat in Lukang, woven from delicate wood shavings and infused with the fresh essence of phytoncides, once fueled the woodworking and weaving industries in Lukang. However, this unique craftsmanship was later lost to history.

Today, most people have only heard of Dajia hats, forgetting that the Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat in Lukang was once a trend, even exported to Japan and the U.S.
Lukang has long been known for its traditional woodworking. Skilled craftsmen, unwilling to waste precious cypress wood shavings, came up with the idea of twisting the fine strands into thread and weaving them into hats. This industry peaked in the late Japanese colonial era but faded quickly, leaving it almost forgotten in Taiwan.

In 2010, the last makers of the Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat in Lukang, HUANG,CHIN-CHAO and his wife, SHI,XIU-QIONG, revived this lost craft in the Caoyuanli community of Lukang—one carving, one weaving, bringing the legendary hat back to life.

At first, we tried to contact Mr. HUANG,CHIN-CHAO, but Neighborhood representatives chief HUANG,WEN-SHU, who respectfully calls him "Uncle," told us that Mr. Huang is now elderly and unable to recall much, making an interview impossible.

Through further searching, we got in touch with Ms. CHEN,HUNG-CHEN from Yangzhen Workshop, who shared some information from her website. However, she pointed out the biggest challenge: the Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat in Lukang is nearly impossible to find today. We tried to purchase a Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat online, but the sellers informed us that they were out of stock and that no one is making them anymore.

Just when we thought we'd hit a dead end, we discovered that this year, Ms. Cai Yan-Yu had taken residence in Lukang's Osmanthus Alley Art Village. She mentioned Lukang’s once-unique Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat, sparking the beginning of our exploration.

The process of making the Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat in Lukang involves three main steps: shaving the wood, twisting it into thread, and weaving. We stumbled our way through the weaving process first, then traced back to understand how wood turns into strands and how those strands become thread.

Throughout this journey, we are deeply grateful to those who helped us and have immense admiration for the wisdom of early craftsmen, who embraced a spirit of resourcefulness and refined the art of hat weaving.
Now, join us as we uncover the lost legacy of the Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat in Lukang!