Workshop｜Gou Shu loves to travel: Jiajiêbozai Jiaji makes

“Sika deer tree – paper mulberry tree” is a tree species that grows commonly across Taiwan. It was named deer tree because sika deer like to eat it, but did you know? In addition to Taiwan, traces of it can be seen on various archipelagos from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean in the south. Because the paper mulberry in Taiwan can bloom and bear fruit differently from other places, it is unique and has initiated a study on biological gene sequencing. It proves that Taiwan may be the homeland of the Austronesian language group.

The Austronesian language group is widely distributed. In the past history, the aboriginal groups in Taiwan (including the Ketagalan people) used the fruits, leaves, and bark of the paper mulberry tree as materials for daily items, such as edible fruits and leaves. It is used to make banknotes and can also be brewed into tea for drinking. The bark is especially used to make clothes, which are worn on important occasions for the indigenous people, such as sacrifices, weddings, and coming-of-age ceremonies. It is common in life but such a good tree species is ignored. This time I will introduce it to everyone and lead you through the process of collecting, knocking and making small notebooks, so as to experience the various fun brought by this tree species!