At 98 years old, “Broom Grandpa” Chang Shui (張水) can still be seen strolling the streets of Taitung County, a bundle of handmade brooms slung over his shoulder as he calls out to passersby in his signature sing-song tone.
For more than six decades, his strong hands have bound mountain grass and rattan into durable brooms — tools that sweep away not only dust, but also carry with them the warmth of human connection and a living piece of Taiwanese folk culture.
Once a familiar figure across Taiwan, Chang, affectionately known as “Old Chang the Broom Seller,” now mostly remains in the eastern county.
Photo: Liu Jen-wei, Taipei Times
Locals eagerly track his movements on social media, rushing to buy his brooms before they sell out. Despite often declaring that each time would be his last, Chang always returns to the streets to sell his wares.
His signature brooms, tied with tiger grass and rattan strips, require exceptional wrist strength to bind tightly.
“If the knot isn’t firm, the broom loosens after a few sweeps, and no one will want it,” Chang said with pride. “Mine can last five years. People trust me. Some even buy more than a hundred.”
Chang’s creations serve more than household needs.
During Taitung’s famed Bombing of Master Handan (炸寒單) festival, his brooms are swept between “heaven and earth” during firecracker barrages, earning the name tiandi sao (天地掃, heaven-and-earth brooms in Chinese).
Believers say the brooms, once blessed in the fiery ritual, carry protective powers against evil. Smaller versions, known as “lucky brooms,” adorn homes, temples and even indigenous households as talismans of blessing and protection.
For longtime residents, spotting Chang on the streets is a cherished ritual.
“His back is as straight as the brooms he sells,” said Cheng Kuo-cheng (鄭國正), a local historian from Chenggong Township (成功). “Meeting him is more than a transaction. It is about sharing blessings, memories and human warmth.”
Shoppers say they never mind when he insists, “This is the last batch,” only to reappear again.
“I always buy five or six at a time,” said Ms Lee, a longtime customer. “He’s been talking about retiring for years, but I’m glad to be ‘fooled.’ It means he’s still healthy, and we still get his wonderful brooms.”
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
RSS