Reed Culture Museum Introduction
In its early days, Yuanli was known as the "Hometown of Reed," and as soon as you step into Yuanli, you can see many reeds being cultivated in the fields. The stems of the reed are soft yet strong, and they can absorb moisture and eliminate odors, making them very suitable for weaving. As early as the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, local women were already using reeds to weave straw mats. With development and improvement, beautiful reed hats were developed during the Japanese colonial period. Due to their lightweight and natural fragrance, they became specialty products marketed globally. In the 25th year of the Republic, the export of straw hats reached its peak with an annual sales volume exceeding ten million hats. At that time, if there was one woman in the household who could weave reeds, it was enough to support the entire family. Therefore, the traditional societal view of male superiority over females did not apply in Yuanli Township, and there was even a popular folk song stating, "Do not value a son over a daughter." The prosperity of this industry can be seen from this. With the evolution of time, traditional hand weaving has gradually been replaced by machines. The increase in wages has also led women to prefer working in factories rather than weaving reeds at home, resulting in a decrease in reed fields and the whole industry gradually fading into history. To preserve this memory, the Yuanli Township Farmers' Association has specifically established the "Reed Culture Museum," hoping to showcase the local characteristics of Yuanli and allow this traditional cultural craft to be sustainably passed down. The Reed Culture Museum covers an area of about 330 square meters and is located next to the Yuanli Township Farmers' Association’s office. It was renovated and repurposed from a disused farmers' association warehouse, featuring a red brick exterior. The interior space is divided into different thematic areas, including a hat and mat culture area, a sales area, an exhibition area for rural ancient artifacts, a rice culture area, and a folk culture area, narrating the entire history of reed weaving to the public. In addition, there are demonstration areas for hat and mat weaving and DIY classrooms, allowing visitors to engage in hands-on activities and get closer to this industry. The outside of the museum is planted with many reeds and Japanese red pine, creating a beautiful landscape with the adjacent rice fields. Since the scenery changes with the seasons, it provides the best way for the public to understand reeds visually.
