When discussing the bamboo industry, most people immediately think of Zhushan in Nantou. However, few realize that the bamboo produced there is primarily Moso bamboo. In contrast, the majority of the guizhu (bamboo) used in various fields such as construction, agriculture, and crafts across Taiwan comes from the mountainous areas of Fuxing in Taoyuan, which is actually the largest bamboo-producing region in Taiwan.

Taoyuan’s Fuxing District is home to over 6,000 hectares of bamboo forest and more than two-thirds of the Atayal population. This area played a crucial role in Taiwan’s bamboo industry from the 1950s to the 1960s. However, as plastic became popular during the Space Age, plastic injection molding factories began to replace bamboo workshops. Bamboo baskets, chairs, cups, and chopsticks were substituted with durable, non-degradable alternatives, causing bamboo materials and crafts to fade from daily life in Taiwan and leading to the fragmentation of the industry.

Mountain Forest Heritage: The Atayal Bamboo Sword Team Wields Taiwan’s Bamboo Swords to the World

Source：Agriharvest