Pingxi Indigo Dye Workshop Introduction
In the early days, the ancestors who arrived in Pingxi were unaware of the rich black gold lying beneath their feet. Their daily life relied on cultivating rice and sweet potatoes for food, while their source of income came from planting indigo plants, which were processed into indigo dye and sold to the mainland. The indigo, known as "daqing," is a perennial plant belonging to the Rubiaceae family, commonly referred to as "shanlan" due to its extensive cultivation in mountainous areas. Since it is primarily used as a dye for coloring fabric blue, it is also called "daqing." It flowers annually from November to February of the following year, with purple blossoms that enjoy warm and humid conditions, making Pingxi's climate perfectly suitable for the growth of indigo plants. According to the "Old Taiwan Agricultural Family Journal" published in Showa 19, the indigo dye produced in Pingxi Township, Taipei Prefecture, has a purity level of about 75 to 80%, known as "indigo," distinguishing it from indigo mud from other regions. Based on local historical researchers' investigations, the indigo industry in the Pingxi area primarily focuses on indigo dye production rather than fabric dyeing, resulting in a lack of significant-scale dye houses. However, large-scale production of indigo for export continues. To preserve the craftsmanship of their ancestors, the "Pingxi Indigo Workshop" was established.
