Charcoal House Introduction
Near the intersection of Fengcheng Road and Xinhwu Road in Baoshan Township, there is a place where smoke rises year-round. Curious vehicles passing by may stop, attracted by people sitting in the shade of trees. They might invite you to taste a homegrown orange or warmly explain the ancient method of charcoal production, which is a dying craft. This is the home of charcoal, where eight years ago, the Li family rebuilt a charcoal kiln to ensure that the old industry would not fade away. They aim to produce the highest quality charcoal using traditional methods. Li Yongxing, who returned to his hometown from Taipei ten years ago, has a strong physique like that of a farmer. He says he grew up watching his grandfather and uncles making charcoal, and those days of keeping watch over the kiln while managing farm work reflected their lives. However, with advancements in living standards, the demand for charcoal decreased, and competition from low-priced imported charcoal forced many kilns to close. Fortunately, the village chief of Baoshan Township wanted to revive this craft, and Li Yongxing, unwilling to let his grandfather's and uncles' skills disappear, began this journey. With the technical guidance of his father, Li Shenghua, and funding from the township office, he dressed the kiln with a hand-woven "straw hat" and densely packed acacia wood from the mountains into the kiln, then reignited the sigil of the charcoal home using camphor wood from the forest as fuel. The phrase "unwilling to give up" may sound easy, but taking on this burden is no simple task. Li Yongxing stated that thankfully, his children have grown up, reducing the financial pressure; otherwise, producing and selling charcoal would hardly earn a profit. The process begins with logging in the mountains, followed by preparing firewood and stacking it in the kiln, which takes about ten days. Producing charcoal takes another 20 to 25 days, and after sealing the kiln, it needs 15 to 20 days to cool completely (if the kiln is opened too early, the unfinished charcoal will ignite upon contact with air). All in all, the entire process takes at least a month and a half. However, from over 20,000 pounds of acacia wood going into the kiln, only around 6,000 pounds of charcoal come out, sold at a price of 20 NT dollars per pound, barely making a profit. Without that sense of "unwillingness," who could carry on? At the charcoal home, they often start working at 2 or 3 AM to open the kiln. Even in winter, the freshly opened kiln is still very warm, and the labor of moving charcoal can lead to heavy sweating in no time. Additionally, the charcoal is black, and soon everyone becomes covered in soot. With thick pieces of charcoal being pulled out, fully carbonized due to the long burning time, the charcoal produced here is both smokeless and long-lasting; discerning buyers have often been waiting nearby. For those interested in charcoal making, feel free to call to inquire about the kiln opening times. After all, this experience is rare and attracts many photography enthusiasts to help move the charcoal, all becoming "blackened" in the process. Incidentally, the publication of this article coincides with the Chinese New Year, which is the peak season for citrus fruits like nagami kumquats and ponkan mandarins. The citrus crops grown by Mr. Li Shenghua have won awards. Opening the kiln is a time of harvest, whether one comes to help with the charcoal or to pick citrus. This New Year at the charcoal home promises extraordinary rewards!
