The past is still alive in Lukang old town

The old world charm of Qing (清朝) dynasty still lingers in Lukang, which was once a bustling port in the 1600’s. It continued to be a thriving center for business and commerce until 1895 when it was closed by the Japanese invaders. Since then, Lukang has lost its luster, but glimpses of that old glory are visible in its tranquil alleys, in its dimly lit temples and in its many historic buildings spread across the town.

Many of these buildings are still in use, from where the residents run some small businesses, while a few have been renovated and preserved as a reminder of the past heritage. Take a stroll along the streets and you will be amazed at the skills of those unnamed artists who were hired to build such magnificent homes for yesteryear’s rich and nobles.

Many of the shops that line the old market streets exhibit elaborate ceremonial artistry, furniture and accessories for ritualistic uses as well as for home decor, paper lanterns being the most prominent.

Our friend, Victoria, who acted as our guide through this amazing maze, mentioned that the craftsmen of Lukang have been making traditional paper lanterns for hundreds of years and they are very reputed in Taiwan.

Later, we visited a couple of lantern shops, both at the old market street and at Zhongshan(中山) Road, a few blocks away. Hundreds of big paper lanterns, richly painted and brightly illuminated, are crammed in such a way that it takes a while to appreciate their beauty.

The lanterns and the materials that produce them, bamboos, brushes, papers, paints, are scattered every where — dangling from the ceilings, stuffed into corners, stairs, walls and sometimes spilling onto the street.

But after spending some time talking to the artists, with the help of Victoria, we began to appreciate their work more closely. First a slender framework of bamboo is made, on which silk or paper is wrapped very tightly so that it does not get torn by a gust of wind. Then the lanterns are painstakingly hand painted, using vegetable dyes mostly, as their colors do not fade easily.

The master artists mentioned that as the lanterns serve auspicious purposes, mostly used as part of tradition or rituals, to get the best results one must make them at “lucky” hours. Seeing at my perplexed look, he clarified further, his voice tinged with reverence and awe, that when they paint a dragon or god on the lantern, they usually wait for an auspicious moment to paint the “eye”.

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