Ministry of Culture-Performance Venues & Architectural Heritage

Rush-weaving artisan Cheng Mei-yu, who originally was a junior high biology teacher, first acquired rush-weaving skills from granny Lin Huang Chiao. Later, she developed her own style. Her works are known for three-dimensional figures with vivid details and have been well recognized in major domestic prizes, such as the Traditional Crafts Awards, the Taiwan Crafts Competition, and the National Art Exhibition. In 2019, Cheng, together with her mentor Lin Huang, were registered as preservers of Taiwan's intangible cultural assets in the category of traditional rush-weaving by the Taitung County government.

  

A comprehensive set of rush-weaving display panels, commissioned by the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, were made by the students of Cheng, who has been devoted to teaching inmates her rush-weaving skills at the Rush Weaving Workshop in Taitung Prison for many years. In 2008, their collective work was awarded the second prize by the Taiwan Crafts Competition. Under the instruction of Cheng and collaborative efforts of the Taitung Prison, the whole set of rush-weaving display panels is finally brought to light.

 

Due to the limited time the inmates can afford to spend on rush weaving, their skills cannot be compared to skillful Yuanli artisans in Miaoli. However, Cheng, along with her students, have put great effort to conduct preliminary research on common rush-weaving patterns. And their endeavors end up as valuable records to the database of traditional Taiwanese crafts. In addition, the crossover cooperation between the crafts institute and the legal department serve both cultural and social significance.

 

The full set of rush-weaving display panels are on display here: https://www.ntcri.gov.tw/entaipei/information_67_109744.html