The Wang family is keeping the craft of making bamboo furniture alive at their centuries-old shop.
Shouldering heavy bundles of bamboo cane, Wang Jen-hui (王壬煇) and his son Wang Sheng-nan (王升南) start their day at Xiner Bamboo Shop in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City. The father and son duo skillfully wield just a few basic tools as they craft the batch of raw material into stools, cabinets and other pieces.
Though techniques of the trade have remained largely the same since the shop was established in 1907 by the elder Wang’s grandfather, the market for bamboo products has changed considerably. For the first two generations, the max daily production of 30 bamboo stools could hardly meet demand. But when Wang Jen-hui took over in 1976, public preference was shifting toward cheaper imports and plastic products. As a result, the family struggled to make more than a handful of sales each month.
Bamboo has regained its popularity as an ecologically friendly material.
Instead of throwing in the towel and closing up shop, Wang decided to get creative with his inventory. He began to make flower stands and decorative arches for special events, as well as palanquins, racks and other items for use in temple festivals. The light weight of bamboo makes it the ideal material for objects carried during pilgrimages and religious parades.
Xiner—now the only shop in Tainan still making the traditional furniture—has also benefited greatly as bamboo goods have surged in popularity in recent years thanks to their environmentally friendly nature. For the Wangs, it doesn’t matter whether they’re making a chair lasting 30 years or an arch providing momentary beauty. They are content in the knowledge that their efforts are helping preserve the time-honored handicraft.
—by Jim Hwang
Wang Jen-hui copes with the ups and downs of the market by adjusting his products to fill unique niches.
Xiner’s fourth-generation craftsman Wang Sheng-nan, left, is following in his father’s footsteps.
Stools coming in a variety of heights are among Xiner’s most popular products.
Drum and gong stands used in temple festivals are made out of bamboo for easy carrying.