The technique of making banana silk yarn, a craft that is exclusive to the Kavalan community, has been recognized as part of the intangible cultural heritage of Hualien County.
The Kavalan are the only Aboriginal community in the nation with the skills to make fabric from banana plants, a technique that has been passed down from one generation to the next.
According to traditional stories, banana fiber was adopted as an alternative to sisal to make fabric, because bananas can be grown all year round.
Photo: Hua Meng-ching, Taipei Times
Thanks to a group of women in Pate Rungan Village in Hualien’s Fengbin Township (豐濱), this craft has been preserved.
The fabric is on display at the LALABAN handicraft shop, which was established in Pate Rungan by the Hualien Kavalan Development Association in 2005.
The souvenir shop mixes creativity with the traditional craft, and sells not only fabric and clothing, but also stationery and household decorations made from banana fiber.
Hualien County Department of Culture director Chen Shu-mei (陳淑美) said that the fabric is the third cultural asset to be designated by the county government as an intangible cultural heritage of the region.
The others are the weaving of men’s clothing by the Bunun people and a Bunun Sowing Festival song known as Pasibutbut, she said.
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