Author: Tao Qing Hsu
Because of learning Buddha, I also pay
attention to the Buddha image. I found some statues of Buddha statues in the
Temple in Taiwan, which looked quite unnatural. However, some Buddha statues
are solemn and kind, with natural movements and like living people. So let me
have a kind of appreciation for the art of Buddha sculpture.
When I learned that there was a woodcarving
street in Sanyi Township, Miaoli, Taiwan, I was curious and went to find out. I
took the section train on the mountain line and got off at Sanyi Railway
Station. After that, I went to Zhongzheng Road and turned left. Then I went
straight to Shuimei Carving Street. The Shuimei Carving Street Business Circle
was selected as the most outstanding business district in 2019. Since I like to
roam on foot, such distance is still in the range where my physical strength
can be loaded. If you feel that the distance is too far, there is a motorcycle
or bicycle rental service available near the Sanyi Railway Station.
I visited three stores of them, and the
boss and the clerk made some introductions to me, so that I have some concepts
about woodcarving. Simply put, it is the material, the natural shape of the
wood, the creative idea, and the engraving technique.
Since Taiwan is a place where Buddhism and
Taoism prevail, it is still a type of creation in which the statue of Buddha is
the majority. The Buddha statues carved here are beautiful, elegant and
natural. Let me naturally feel the compassionate and elegant life of Buddha and
Bodhisattva. For foreigners, if they have not been exposed to Buddhism, they
may not understand the meaning and beauty of them.
We believe in Buddhism, and in addition to
wishing to learn the Buddha's compassion and freedom in the soul; in life, we
certainly hope for peace and happiness. Therefore, there are many similar
creations in creative ideas, especially in terms of wealth. For example, the
Maitreya Buddha, who laughs and laughs, holds the wishfulness in one hand and
the gold ingot in the other, representing the meaning of wealth; the lotus has
the meaning of fullness of money. The art of carving in Taiwan has its symbolic
meaning. It is very interesting.
In terms of materials, Taiwan's high
mountains of cypress, yew and stout camphor tree are used. On imported
materials, ebony and rosewood are used, which are not cheap wood. Some are even
classified as national treasures and are prohibited from logging. So, next time
you see any trees, don't think they are useless and cut them to burn.
In Taiwan, every time a strong typhoon
transits, there are insiders who ran to the estuary or the seaside to drift
wood, because many of them are high-grade wood washed from the mountains by the
wind and rain. The shape of these woods is quite natural, so the creators will
follow these natural shapes to create their own creations, and become unique
works that are collectible.
Of course, a perfect piece of work, of
course, can not lack the skills of the engraver. However, I am a layman, I
can't see the difference between them.
One of the clerk told me that many of their
works are unique creations, so they will not be placed on the Internet. This is
to avoid people imitating carving. I think this is very reasonable. These
unique creations are usually accompanied by a certificate with the name,
creator, material, and size. In order to respect the store and the creators, I
did not take pictures. If you are interested in wood carving art, when you
travel to Taiwan, don't forget to go and see!
