Visitors to Shi Mu-zhu’s farm in Puyan Township in Changhua County are being treated to a special treat: steaming cups of locally grown tea served in an old-style granary.
Shi, 78, said he came up with the idea after helping his son with a school project about Taiwan’s granaries.
“We scoured the countryside trying to find a granary to photograph but were unsuccessful,” Shi said. “That is when I came up with idea to build one of these superb structures from the past.”
An absolute beginner when it comes to granary construction, Shi roped in his son—an experienced formworker—to help with the project. The pair soon created a structure where they could invite friends and relatives to tea parties.
Shi said the new and improved granary weighs six metric tons and boasts about 65 square meters of indoor space. The round structure has a roof made from hay, while the walls are made using woven bamboo, which was covered with cement and then painted.
“A lot of people are curious about the granary and have taken a look around and approached me about building similar structures for them,” he said.
But the biggest fan of the structure is Shi’s grandson.
“He loves to spend time in the structure and smell the natural scent of hay whenever making a trip to the countryside from the city,” Shi said.
(This article appeared July 21 in The Liberty Times.)