Liu Wen-Huang Crafts House Introduction
"Keeping up with the times, bamboo crafts are not lonely. Liu Wen-Huang, a bamboo artist from Zhushan Township, Nantou County, established the Da-He Bamboo Workshop, combining art and creative design to produce a series of bamboo products like tea sets, business card holders, and photo frames, bringing bamboo crafts into daily life. The personalized bamboo chopsticks, which can be engraved with names, are the top seller and are very popular for both personal use and gifts. ■ Diverse Product Development Liu Wen-Huang, a graduate of the Animal Science Department of National Cultural University, fell in love with bamboo crafts. Growing up in Zhushan Township, he worked with bamboo every day and naturally became skilled in it. After creating bamboo handbags and bamboo trays, he began to expand his business. For the first twelve years, he operated at a loss, but Liu continued to pursue his goals with determination, developing various practical, creative, and aesthetically pleasing bamboo works that have won numerous awards, raising the profile of the Da-He Bamboo Workshop brand. While most bamboo manufacturers are market-oriented, Liu took a different approach, expanding the market with diverse creative products, believing that as long as the product is good, there is no fear of lacking a market. Da-He Bamboo Workshop continues to develop bamboo products that combine creativity and craftsmanship, incorporating traditional Chinese mortise and tenon techniques, allowing for more diverse applications of bamboo. It has won the Best Living Craft Award from the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute six times and has been selected as a Craft Home, garnering great consumer favor and exporting to markets in Japan, Europe, and America. ■ Ingenious Designs Earn Praise The products designed by Liu Wen-Huang are unique and entirely made of bamboo, ranging from chopsticks and business card holders to classic baskets and treasure chests. Recently, with consumers loving eco-friendly chopsticks, the workshop launched a portable bamboo chopsticks and chopstick holder set, complete with a delicate cotton bag, sold at NT$320, with an additional NT$50 for engraving names, attracting many consumers for both personal use and gifting. The classic basket is a complete tea set that is easy to carry, featuring thoughtful designs, priced at NT$18,800. Japanese customers have come to Taiwan specifically to visit Zhushan to "hunt for treasures" and purchase a set. The bamboo tea box "Five Blessings Arrive" holds ten cups, a tea aroma cup, a tea spoon, a tea pitcher, and a tea tray, all crafted with traditional mortise and tenon joints and bamboo fasteners, showcasing the beauty of Taiwanese craftsmanship. ■ Establishment of the Da-He Bamboo Museum Another signature piece is the bamboo treasure box, which looks like a wooden box but offers no visible openings, challenging users' minds. Liu stated that engineers from Mercedes-Benz visited the workshop, where he demonstrated the ingenious box made using physical structures and gravity, allowing visitors to marvel at how bamboo crafts can lock the treasure box seamlessly without a single screw, leading to much admiration. Currently, Da-He Bamboo Workshop operates eight directly managed stores across Taiwan and has counters in major hotels and department stores. Liu Wen-Huang recently launched a range of bamboo photo frames in various sizes, which can also be customized based on individual needs. By the end of 2006, the Da-He Bamboo Museum, covering an area of 150 ping, was set to be completed and opened. While Zhushan has seen both prosperity and decline, Liu Wen-Huang has brought endless possibilities to bamboo crafts. (Text and images from the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute)"
