The impression most people have of Tunghsiao is that it's a small town without much personality. Perhaps some have heard of Tunghsiao Beach, or Ch'iu Mao Park, but are unaware of the special characteristics of Tunghsiao.

In the area of production industry, manual trade in Tunghsiao has actually been carried out quite well.

There are several areas on Taiwan such as Sanyi and Tunghsiao which are known for their woodcarvings. So outstanding are the idol carvings of Tunghsiao that it has become known as "carving town."

Ch'en Min-feng, who has been in the business of carving wooden idols for twenty years, recalls, "Seventeen or eighteen years ago a sculptor's monthly salary was somewhere around NT$5,000 per month. The town mayor made only NT$-3,000 per month."

Just how did the carvings of Tunghsiao make it into the spotlight? One of the key figures in the process is Li Chin-ch'uan. Forty years ago the town of Tunghsiao wanted to build a Matsu temple. The elders of the town invited Li Chin-ch'uan, who was living in Nanho at the time, to take charge of carving for the temple. Since his style of carving was so clever, and his workmanship so refined, it sparked an interest in many others to take a shot at the art of carving. Later, giving into the demands of the townspeople, he opened up a class in carving instruction and began to accept students. His efforts have produced some very fine students who have nurtured local talent, and set the carving atmosphere for the area.

Sculptor Chu Ming is one of Li Chin-ch'uan's first generation of students. Ch'en Chiung-hui, well-known for his aborigine carvings, and Ts'ai Ming-hui, who is skilled in the carvings of historic figures, belong to the third generation.

Perhaps the old masters were good at idol carving while most of the students depended on carving Buddhist images and Buddhist utensils for a living. In Neihu there's a factory which makes wooden fish, a percussion instrument made of a hollow wooden block, originally used by Buddhist priests to beat rhythm when chanting scriptures. Some of the wooden fish are as small as a fish, while some are as large as 1.5 cubed meters. It's known as "Wood Fish King" locally. In addition to being sold domestically, they are also exported to countries with large Buddhist populations such as Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Last July the Taiwan Provincial Museum and the Ministry of Education cosponsored an exhibition on carvings, in which several works from Tunghsiao were on display.

Rush mats and straw hats are one of the specialties of Tunghsiao, yet it was Tachia who came out on tops.

Although the straw hat industry of Tunghsiao began about the same time as that of Yuanli and Tachia, and even surpasses Tachia's in production, yet because all the products are exported through Tachia, Tachia has made a big name for itself, while Tunghsiao remains in the background somewhat unknown.

Some have speculated that this may have something to do with the customs of the people. The conservative people of Tunghsiao, not egotistical, have suffered somewhat in the process of making a name for themselves.

Ch'i Teng-sheng, a well-known author who was born and now resides in Tunghsiao, says, "The inhabitants of Tunghsiao have always been charmingly conservative."

By walking through the small town you can often see people of the same household with one new and one old house. The old generations are kept in the old-style shelters. Even if the children or grandchildren have the money to rebuild, they do not care to make changes from head to toe on the shelters. One middle school teacher says that the people of Tunghsiao don't really like to bother with keeping up with the trends of the times. Pure, simple, and conservative are adjectives one would use when describing the people of Tunghsiao.

In February, at the time of the sweet potato harvest, many elementary school students gather the sweet potatoes. When the camera lens was pointed in their direction, the children of the town made a funny face, and then split. An old man was talking happily with a traveler as he crouched on a mat while soaking in some sun. Seeing the camera lens pointed in his direction, he was somewhat taken back, and waved his hand in a gentle manner as a sign so as not to take his picture.

The famous sculptor Chu Ming spent a happy childhood on this land. He says, "My family was not well-to-do when I was young, so I had to graze cattle to contribute to the family income, yet making a living out in the open, where I could see the mountains and the ocean, made me feel happy." He gained a lot of experience during that time which later proved to be an inspiration for his creations. From his works "Ox Cart," "Girl Playing in the Sand," and "Hometown," we can find a simple, unadorned, and peaceful "Tunghsiao style."

The population is made up of 40,000 residents, two-thirds of which are Hakkas. "We people of Tunghsiao don't know how to lead a life of debauchery, and you'll seldom see any lazy good-for-nothings on the streets," says one of the townspeople. Most people's entertainment is work. They go to work during the daytime, and then go to their side job in the evening. They certainly reveal the diligent character of the Hakkas.

The town of Tunghsiao began during the K'ang Hsi reign period during the Ch'ing dynasty (1644-1911), yet the large-scale expansion took place during the Ch'ien Lung reign period (1736-1796).

In 1905, Tunghsiao was included in Hsinchu County, at which time its streets were built. Then in 1920 was changed to Tunghsiao Hamlet in Miaoli Prefecture, Hsinchu County. It was not until 1950 that it was changed to Tunghsiao Town, Miaoli County.

Located in the southwest part of Miaoli County, its surface area covers more than 107 square kilometers, one-tenth the size of Miaoli County itself, and is made up mostly of mountains. To the north it's juxtapositioned to the town of Houlung and Hsihu Village. It stretches east to Tunglo and Sanyi, and south as far as the town of Yuanli. To the west it borders the Taiwan Straits. Because the town has a coast approximately sixteen kilometers long, many of the townspeople engage in fishing for a living.

Fishers and people living along the coast often face the dangers of inclement weather, and the people of Tunghsiao are no exception. On account of this the two Matsu Temples in the town are always busy with people offering incense. One of the old townsfolk said, "We carried the two Matsu idols in the Kung T'ien Temple and the Chen Lan Temple back from the Ch'ao T'ien Temple in Lukang."

The vast sea provides the people of Tunghsiao with a fishing ground to maintain a living, as well as provides the area with a beach for recreation.

The Tunghsiao Beach is the largest white sand beach in the central part of Taiwan. As soon as summer arrives the beach is crowded with sandcastles and people playing ball.

One of the favorite pastimes of the local people is to climb Hutou (Tiger's Head) Mt. in the fall, and view the billowing waves of the beach below.

There's a story behind the origin of the name Hutou Mt. One of the old townspeople says that most people who came to Taiwan from Changchow (Fukien), and Chuanchow (Fukien), left from Amoy. As their boats moved out to sea, they looked back on their village, and could only see Hutou Mt. in Amoy. After moving to an unfamiliar environment, it was hard to get over the feeling of being homesick. It's for this reason that the names of all the hills were changed to Hutou. Hutou Mt. in Tungtung is one such example.

At the foot of Hutou Mt. there's a temple called Shoushan Temple. In 1787 Lin Shuang-wen caused an uprising. Ch'en Chung-p'ing resisted him bravely, but was killed in the process. His assistant Shou T'ung-ch'un gathered together the village militiamen, and regained the town of Chuch'ien. During an attack which followed the next year, Shou T'ung-ch'un was killed. In 1742, when things had settled down, the village people built a temple in honor of his virtue.

The National Parachuters' Association recently opened a training site on the slope in the back of the Ch'iu Mao Park on which to practice. The reason for this is that the ground is soft, and there are few obstacles to get in the way. In addition, one can look down onto the coast which makes for a spectacular sight.

It seems that there is a lot of potential for the town of Tunghsiao to develop tourism. "We must develop tourism; if we merely depend on farming, forestry, fishing, or grazing, then it won't be enough," says Mayor Hsu Wen-yao. The beach is elevated higher and higher on account of the drifting sand with each passing year. In view of this, it's not suitable for the large-scale fishing industry. At present there are about one hundred fishing vessels that go out to sea, but the catch isn't big.

Much of Tunghsiao is made up of sloped land. Only about one-fourth of land is suitable for rice fields or dry farmland. Then if you take into consideration the difficulty of irrigation, you can understand the difficulties the development of the agricultural industry has faced.

The Central Youth Dairy Farm is a very good example of the development of the dairy farming industry.

Eight years ago this piece of farmland was a forest which was not utilized. There weren't any roads. If you wanted to get here you had to walk along the creek for three or four kilometers. A few of the frontrunners such as Li Ying-yao, She Shang-ping, and Wu Tun-yao, under the direction of the government, went to the U.S. to receive training in dairy farming. After they returned to the R.O.C., they came to this hillside, developed it, planted grass, and raised cattle.

In the process of opening up this land, many dairy farmers threw in the towel. Originally there were seventeen farmers; only four stuck with it to the end.

On account of the assistance provided by the government, those in the farming industry utilized scientific methods to increase the quality of the grass, improve the quality of the soil, and prevent losses among the livestock; therefore, production among cows gradually grew with each passing year. At present there are 300 cows in this dairy farming village, which produce about 2,500 kilograms of milk per day. Kuang Chuan milk, which is produced here ranks tops on Taiwan.

Although there is a steel mine, a thermo-power plant, and an electrodialysis salt factory in Tunghsiao, industries are not flourishing for the most part. Shen Fang-hsien, a section chief at the salt Factory, says, "Tunghsiao supplies the entire province with salt, but factory installations are limited in order to prevent pollution."

Although some may hold the view that the rate at which Tunghsiao is developing is not fast enough, the townspeople nevertheless are confident, and at ease with the ways things are going. They take delight in nature, and are not so keen on the idea of an invasion by the material civilization from the city.

[Picture Caption]

Tunghsiao fishermen catch fry along the beach. It's commonly referred to as "net dragging."

A typical person from Tunghsiao--simple, honest, and dark skinned.

An old woman awaits the return of her son from a fishing trip out at sea.

When the sea and winds have calmed down, take the opportunity to hang out your bed linen.

In the morning the marketplace is the busiest time of day in this small town.

Tunghsiao provides all of Taiwan with refined salt. Not only is the sea a source of income, but also a favorite place for the people of Tunghsiao to take a stroll, or chat with friends.

Fish hatchery is also an important industry in Tunghsiao.

Hand-woven straw hats take a sunbath under the hot sun.

A sculptor inspects his work. It seems as though he's rather satisfied.

A typical person from Tunghsiao--simple, honest, and dark skinned.

An old woman awaits the return of her son from a fishing trip out at sea.

When the sea and winds have calmed down, take the opportunity to hang out your bed linen.

In the morning the marketplace is the busiest time of day in this small town.

Tunghsiao provides all of Taiwan with refined salt. Not only is the sea a source of income, but also a favorite place for the people of Tunghsiao to take a stroll, or chat with friends.

Fish hatchery is also an important industry in Tunghsiao.

Hand-woven straw hats take a sunbath under the hot sun.

A sculptor inspects his work. It seems as though he's rather satisfied.