Taipei Times
Date: Nov 14, 2015
By: Staff writer, with CNA
The technique of making banana silk yarn, a craft that is exclusive to the Kavalan
A Kavalan woman weaves cloth in Pate Rungan Village in Hualien’s Fengbin Township on Wednesday last week. Photo: Hua Meng-ching, Taipei Times
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.
Thanks to a group of women in Pate Rungan Village in Hualien’s Fengbin Township (豐濱), this craft has been preserved. [FULL STORY]
