De Shun Paper Craft King of Music Introduction
at the border of Changzhi and Pingtung City, there is a large temple that was set on fire during the Six Companions Uprising, and the locals refer to it as the "Burned Temple." Nearby, there is a family that specializes in making paper houses, known as "De Shun." The paper offerings production began with Qiu De Shun, and local villagers and regular customers refer to it as "De Shun Zi." Generally, Hakka paper offerings production also incorporates ancient music, particularly the suona. In the past, those who played the suona also made paper offerings, but this is not necessarily the case now. However, others still view them as interconnected; even if the suona master hired does not make paper offerings, they will be asked to buy them instead. Min Nan suona masters do not make paper offerings and leave that to the priests. Qiu Fengming and Qiu Fenglin began assisting their father with simple paper offerings when they were around ten years old. After their father's passing, Qiu Fengming started learning to play the suona. Having cultivated their craft from a young age, after Qiu De Shun passed away, he passed the baton to his two sons, Qiu Fengming and Qiu Fenglin, with about fifty years of experience in paper offerings production inherited from their father, who passed away two years ago. Qiu Fenglin mentioned that their mother married into the family a decade before their father started making paper offerings. In the past, Gangshan was the hub of paper offerings production. When they first opened their business, their father hired a master from Gangshan to teach them at home, which lasted intermittently for two to three years, during which the master lived with them, teaching as he worked. When they graduated from junior high school, their father asked if they wanted to continue the paper offerings craft, and if so, he would send them to Gangshan for three years and four months of apprenticeship. Early in their father's era, they had to hand-draw patterns, but later, printed products were mostly used, simply cut and glued together. The paper houses made by De Shun are typically in the style of either three or five rooms. To make larger houses, they would add floors, creating a western-style house. However, Hakka people are frugal and almost never order western-style houses. A three-room house can be completed in eight hours, while a five-room house takes longer; just the framework alone takes a day and a half to complete, with the entire structure taking two days. The middle of the paper house serves as the main hall, with the left half extending to the master bedroom and bathroom, while the right half consists of servant quarters and bathrooms. The eaves of the paper house must have an even number of sections; a three-room house has sixteen eaves, while a five-room house has twenty-two. The materials used in production come from Taichung, Tainan, and Fengshan, with varying print quality from different suppliers, with Qiu Fengming and his brother having preferred distributors. The dimensions of the paper house must comply with the traditional measurement standards: a three-room house measures 4.2 feet, and a five-room house measures 5.8 feet. The measuring tools left by their father have markings in accordance with these standards, and the two brothers still use them along with an old small chisel, retaining a connection to their father’s legacy. The focus in making a paper house lies in ensuring the framework and paper are properly aligned and flat, avoiding slants or bumps, which requires years of accumulated experience. The framework is made from shaved bamboo slips, with about eighty pieces of bamboo producing two paper houses. The framework of a three-room house generally uses finer bamboo, while a five-room house uses thicker bamboo. It's common to get pricked by the bamboo fibers during the process. The bamboo for the framework is fixed with rolled plastic sheeting; previously, thin strips of rolled paper were used, known as paper nails. The four main support poles use thicker bamboo, while the others are thinner. The brothers indicated that the roof is the most challenging part to construct. After the framework is completed, decorative paper is glued on, with large windows, small windows, and floors, all of which have designated patterns that cannot be mismatched. When the paper is first glued, it appears uneven, but Qiu Fenglin noted that it flattens naturally as it dries. The traditional techniques have evolved; the brothers recalled their father having skin infections on his hands from prolonged exposure to chemical glues, so they now make their adhesive using flour and cornstarch, adding alum powder for preservation, and they typically cover it with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Nowadays, some paper house production does not use glue but replaces it with nail guns. Although faster, the brothers believe it does not provide the stability of using paper nails and hand gluing. Moreover, there are some who fold printed materials to create whole paper houses, but these are too flat and do not appeal to the market. The brothers stated that each family has different teachings and techniques, which allows for identification of craftsmanship at a detailed level. Small plastic figures are used as "house servants," glued in front of the completed paper house; a three-room house would have two servants, while a five-room house would have four to six servants. Min Nan people believe that the more house servants, the more grandeur; however, Qiu Fenglin mentioned that some Hakka people even ask if the house servants can be removed, as hiring a servant incurs extra costs and descendants worry about not providing enough paper money for their ancestors. Additionally, Min Nan practices commonly include using golden boys and jade girls, while Hakka people use gold mountains and silver mountains as a substitute. In earlier times, when there were no cars, people relied on walking to get around, and only better-off families had sedan chairs; thus, the travel tools burned for the deceased were naturally also sedan chairs. Inside the paper sedan chair, a figurine would be placed as a stand-in, just as a figurine would be placed inside a completed paper house, indicating that the owner has moved in. The deceased could have different representations based on age and gender; for the elderly, there would be an old man and an old woman, while for those who passed away young, representations would be of boys and girls. A paper suitcase is used for clothes; previously, suitcases were hand-drawn, cut, and pasted, and could hold real hand-sewn clothing. Now, these are made using printed materials instead, with clothing replaced by printed paper products. Some customers no longer use suitcases; Qiu Fengming stated that paper sedan chairs are now made very large and luxurious, with ample trunk space for whatever is needed, making a suitcase seem unnecessary. Qiu Fengming recalled that their father would glue together the Seven Stars Bridge used in temple fairs. Additionally, their father would measure the size of coffins at funeral homes, making a type of object called a "coffin surround" on-site, since paper is easily damaged and must be made at the location. The purpose of the coffin surround was to cover the coffin during transport, to show respect for the deceased, as coffins were carried by hand to their destinations. The coffin would be covered to avoid exposing the deceased for too long, which could bring bad luck to passersby. In later years, paper coffin surrounds gradually gave way to cloth drapes, and now with coffins transported in stretched funeral cars, coffin surrounds have gradually been phased out. Burning is solely for the purpose of reincarnation. In the paper offerings business, there is no significant peak or low season; generally, before the Lunar New Year, there are more deceased, as the saying goes, "can’t eat during the New Year." Perhaps it’s due to the cold weather. Qiu Fengming mentioned that besides funerals, another peak season is the Qingming Festival. Regular demands also arise; he mentioned a customer requesting to burn a house for a stranger who appeared in a dream, claiming they had no home or that their house was leaking and being invaded. The living fulfill the wishes of the deceased by burning a house for them. While alive, people regard possession as essential; of course, ancestors in another realm feel the same. Each paper house comes with a property deed, specifying the identity of the owner. This clear documentation ensures a peaceful balance in the spirit world, avoiding conflicts. The evening before the burning of the paper house...
