Chinese Name: 蘇清良
Born: 1935
Died: July 20, 2023
Place of Birth: Kaohsiung City (Southern Taiwan)
Did You Know?
Su Ching-liang, a national treasure-level craftsperson, specializes in using traditional cement construction methods to restore century-old buildings. He carefully studies the structure and lines of each building, as well as the construction methods, materials, and cultural spirit behind each component.
Su Ching-liang was born in 1935 in what is now Hunei District (湖內區) of Kaohsiung City. He attended Dahu Elementary School (大湖國民學校) at the age of eight, but was forced to drop out due to the outbreak of World War II. In order to acquire a skill, Su became an apprentice of Han Chi-fu (韓其福) to learn traditional residential architecture and cement construction techniques. He worked as an apprentice for 40 months, and has since been engaged in cement-based construction for over 70 years.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Su Ching-liang mainly worked on traditional residential and temple buildings in the Kaohsiung and Tainan areas. In the 1970s, with the takeoff of the domestic economy and changes in the construction industry, he turned to modern residential construction. In 1998, he participated in the restoration of Zhongshan Hall (中山堂), beginning a more than 20-year experience in cultural heritage restoration.
Su Ching-liang has participated in more than 30 cultural heritage restoration projects throughout Taiwan, including the Taiwan Governor-General's Office Transportation Bureau (台灣總督府交通局鐵道部), the Hsinchu Prefectural Hall (新竹州廳), the Wufeng Lin Family Mansion (霧峰林家), the Fengyi Academy (鳳儀書院) in Kaohsiung, and the Hengchun Old City (恆春古城), all of which are designated important historical sites.
Among them, the restoration project of the Transportation Bureau is considered by Su to have been the most challenging and the one he is most proud of. On July 6, 2020, he was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the Taipei Railway Cultural Park in his role as a cement craftsman and received recognition from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). In addition to his long-term efforts in the restoration of the Transportation Bureau, his cement construction techniques have also been highly praised, intangibly boosting the role and importance of traditional craftsmen.
Su Ching-liang is currently one of the few traditional craftsmen who are proficient in both Chinese traditional architecture and Western modern architecture. He specializes in traditional “bamboo cage” houses (竹籠屋), earthen houses, Han-style homesteads, residential buildings, temples, and the foundation, main walls, roof ridges, roof tile plastering, and plaster line decoration of Western-style buildings, as well as having a strong background in the knowledge and techniques of cement construction preservation.
In 2002, Su participated in the restoration of the Hsinchu Prefectural Hall, during which the construction record team also recorded the construction methods, gradually making him aware of the importance and research value of his early cement construction techniques. What is particularly valuable is that some of his tools were personally made and produced, and all related cement tools from his apprenticeship to the present day have been properly maintained and preserved, allowing him to adapt to various restoration construction situations.
Since realizing the importance of his own skills, Su Ching-liang hopes to promote the preservation and passing-along of cement construction techniques. He has worked to combine these restoration techniques and his experiences, and has been commissioned by the civic organizations to carry out skill exchanges, teaching, and study courses. Even in his old age, he is still recommended by design and construction units to represent Taiwan’s cement craftsmen in study exchanges with Japanese artisans, and he continues to hone his skills.
In 2019, the Kaohsiung City Government registered "cement construction techniques" as a technique of cultural heritage preservation, recognizing Su Ching-liang as a preserver thereof. In 2022, the Ministry of Culture also recognized him as an important preserver of repair and preservation techniques, highlighting his contribution to cultural heritage. Su Ching-liang has a wealth of skills, insists on craftsmanship, and is fully committed to cultural heritage restoration and teaching. For his efforts, he has earned the title of "Living National Treasure," a title which is well-deserved.
(Photo courtesy of Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Kaohsiung City Government)