ESG News

Written by: a Novatek volunteer

For the autumn Night Angel Humanities Activities, volunteers of the Novatek Education Foundation accompanied students from Po He Elementary School and Yusan Elementary School to the Zhamu Wood Workshop and She May Na Wa Straw Art Factory in Miaoli, experiencing traditional culture and the craftsman spirit of Miaoli through handcrafts.

The Zhamu Wood Workshop is located in Sanyi Township, famous in Taiwan for its woodcarving culture. The workshop has a comprehensive collection of exquisite woodcarving works. After the fun and professional introduction given by the workshop owner, the students learned more about the types of wood used for woodcarving and the history of woodcarving in Sanyi, showing great participation in the subsequent Q&A session. After the Q&A, it was time for the students to make their DIY crafts. They made action figures from wooden materials and painted them with a wide array of colors. In addition to experiencing the wood textures with their hands, they also enjoyed the fun of safe whittling without the use of knives. The students weren’t the only ones having a great time doing the activities, the Novatek volunteers were totally immersed in the process as well. As the final moment arrived when the handcrafting works were painted and coated with a brilliant varnish, the sense of accomplishment was simply wonderful!

After an hour and a half of handcrafting, we then drove to Tzao-Juang, a restaurant in Miaoli famous for its red date cuisine, to enjoy a tasty lunch made using red jujubes. Differing from traditional Hakka cuisine, red dates are used in many dishes in Tzao-Juang, adding a balancing touch of sweetness to the dishes, making them taste less oily. The students and the volunteers loved the dishes so much, they polished off every single dish.

The last stop of our trip was the She May Na Wa Straw Art Factory in Gongguan Township, Miaoli. When we arrived, we immediately smelled the aroma of drying hay. After entering the factory, we saw all kinds of exquisitely woven shimenawa “sacred ropes”. They are mainly shipped to Japan where they are used by both businesses and shrines. The word shimenawa means “sacred rope” in Japanese. The visit was kicked off by watching a video of the news report about the She May Na Wa Straw Art Factory. She May Na Wa is the only remaining straw processing factory in Taiwan. Currently, the factory is run by several senior employees led by the third-generation owner together with their younger brother. Despite the fact that the straw weaving industry is facing price competition from around the world, the owners inherited the legacy of their mother and insisted on keeping this traditional craft in Taiwan. They managed to keep the business running through contract farming and home OEM. In addition to continuing this traditional culture, their factory also increases local employment, having provided high-quality products to Japan for several years and becoming a source of pride in Taiwan. The group’s handcrafting activity was to utilize the semi-finished woven straws together with blessings and various accessories to create a unique sacred rope - something simple to make, interesting and memorable.

Although this year’s Night Angel activities were short, through the process of nurturing traditional craft culture and experiencing handcrafting, we all felt happy and fulfilled. It’s hoped that through such events, the students and Novatek volunteers can share their experiences and fun with friends and family. In this period when the pandemic has severely pummeled Taiwan’s tourism industry, being able to utilize our spare time to experience Taiwan’s traditional culture not only expands the horizons of disadvantaged students, but also makes a contribution to Taiwan’s traditional crafts industry!