The Amies, Taiwan

Prof. Warren H.J. KUO and

Mr. Shih-Chang CHEN

2005

On the way to Jialulan (today’s Fugang Village), Taitung county, searching for bird fig tree (c^but, Ficus superba var. japonica). Following a tradition before cutting down twigs or trunk, an old man explain to the tree why it is being cut, and prays for the event to go without a hitch.

Cutting down twigs of the bird fig tree (c^but).

Ficus superba var. japonica (bird fig tree, c^but).

Cutting down the trunk of the bird fig tree (c^but).

Three elders in Dulan Village cutting parts of a bird fig tree to make bark clothes.

Step 1a: Scrapping off the outer layer to make the barks thinner; it’s easier to beat on them this way.

Step 1b: The resultant bark and trunk.

Step 2: Beating tree trunks, making barks come off easily.

Step 3a: Beating the barks thinner, in order to make them suitable for making bark clothes.

Step 3b: Barks that came off and tree trucks that are striped. 

Step 4a: Peeling away fibers with a pocket knife, making the barks thinner to make bark clothes.

Step 4b: Peeling away fibers with a pocket knife, making the barks thinner to make bark clothes.

Step 5: Starting to make hats.

Bark hats