The Hsieh (謝) family in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口) has long been known for its exquisite zhizha (紙扎), the traditional craft of replicating objects in paper to be burned as offerings.
The fourth-generation head of the business, 61-year-old Hsieh Yu-hsiang (謝玉祥), strives to preserve the century-old family trade by ensuring that customers nationwide receive the best product.
Hsieh said he only uses Makino bamboo, often from groves in Hsinchu County’s Jhudong Township (竹東) or Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份).
Photo: CNA
He splits the bamboo into either thin strips or slices, and uses them to make the framework of the zhizha, then cuts paper into the right size to cover the frame, Hsieh said.
Once the white paper base is completed, Hsieh selects colored paper and printed designs to add detail.
Smaller and simpler products can usually be completed within a week, but larger and more complex items could take up to a month, Hsieh said.
One couple visits him every year and places the same order for a candy box, as the couple’s son who passed away when he was five liked that particular brand of candy, Hsieh said.
Another customer requested a miniature replica of a high-speed rail train for their parents, who were never able to ride the train before they passed away, he added.
Customers have started making more creative requests, such as for the latest smartphones, a European-style townhouse with a swimming pool and even a mahjong set, he said.
Hsieh also works for temples during ceremonies to craft items such as a replica pavilion for a set of deities known as the sisters of the Weaving Maid, Qiniangma (七娘媽), every Lovers’ Day.
Based on the myth, the sisters, sad that Lovers’ Day is the only time the Weaving Maid can be with her lover, the Cowherd, promised to look after their children.
New Taipei City Department of Civil Affairs Director Ko Ching-chung (柯慶忠) said that aside from promoting paper art, Hsieh is also the Taiping Borough (太平) warden and looks after disadvantaged and older residents.
He often leads volunteers to clean up the borough and even helped facilitate the creation of the Taiping Borough Hiking Trail, Ko added.
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