The town of Sanyi in Miaoli is the synonym of woodcarving in Taiwan. 50 percent of the locals are engaged in woodcarving. The material is based on camphor mostly.
The government of Miaoli holds Sanyi International Wood Craving Festival every year. In 2020, the festival falls on from October 1st to 10th. Though the main venue, Sanyi Wood Sculpture, can be visited throughout the year, there are activities around the site that can allow people to see the masterpieces of artists from all over the world and even do some woodcarving yourself.
How did Sanyi become the hub of woodcarving in Taiwan?
Back to 1918(during the Japanese colonized era), a local called Jing-bao Wu processed the driftwood he collected as his home decoration. The Japanese were very fond of his creation, so they did some research together to make the wood into high-valued art craft. Later, more and more people join the industry of woodcarving.
Sanyi Museum
Sanyi Museum is the only public museum based on the theme of woodcarving. The collections are various from domestic art crafts to exotic artworks. There are more than 1000 collections and the value of the collections is more than 1 billion NTD. Also, visitors can see the exhibition of wooden architecture and furniture.
- Open Hour:
- 09:00~17:00, Tuesday to Sunday
- Information:
- B1: Special exhibition/ DIY classroom
- 1F: History of woodcarving/ works of Austronesian
- 2F: Furniture and architecture/ sculpture of deity/ Courtyard
- 3F: Wooden mask/ Special exhibition/ classic collections/ experimental exhibition
- 4F: International exchange exhibition
- Entrance Fee:
- 80 NTD per person
Shui-mei Street
When you step into Shui-mei street, you will crash into surges of wooden fragrance. On the five hundred meters long street, there are about 200 shops and studios. Here you can see the sculpture of Guanyin, Maitreya, and Dharma. Here you can also find useful wooden utensils for you to level up your taste. Sometimes you can even see the experienced craftsmen devoted to their masterpiece.
What else you can do in the 2020 Sanyi International Wood Craving Festival
Besides the exhibition of wooden art crafts and the international competition, the festival is also connected to local sightseeing. Visitors can experience tea culture, enjoy the musical concert, and have an in-depth tour of Miaoli.
Fun facts about the Material-Taiwanese camphor
Taiwanese camphor is highly valuable. During the late 19th century, it dominated Taiwanese exportation. The roll films are made from a transparent plastic material, celluloid. In 1897 when the movie was just invented, refined camphor was used as a plasticizer for celluloid. Without Taiwanese camphor, movies would not come into our lives.
Attractions around Sanyi
Old Mountain Line Railbike
The Old Mountain Line was built in 1908. When construction building technique wasn’t so advanced like nowadays, people at that time created the railway with great slope, large curves, longest tunnels, and the longest steel made bridge. The railway was decommissioned in 1998. To reactive the railway, the local government made the railway into Railbike so that the tourist can experience the beauty of the Old Mountain Line. If you are interested in the railbike, you need to make a reservation online.
Longteng Broken Bridge
The bridge was built in 1905. The bridge was part of the Old Mountain Bridge. The firm bridge was made with bricks and concrete; however, it was destroyed by the earthquake in 1935. Though now people can’t see the full picture of the bridge, by the remained relics you can imagine its no-longer-exist figure. The best part of the bride is not the ruins but the beautiful images created in your mind.
And remember to experience Hakka culture in Miaoli. For more information, you can read: All You Need to Know About Taiwanese Hakka
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