Take an Umbrella
Another thing about Taiwan you should know is the Umbrella. Taiwanese often carry foldable umbrellas everywhere and with a good reason. The weather can range from cloudless blue sky to torrential downpour in a single day so best to be prepared and pack an umbrella.
Besides, you can decorate the Oil Paper Umbrella - the cultural symbol of the Hakka people! Kuang Chin Sheng Paper Umbrella studio, nestled in Meinong Township, the birthplace of Taiwan’s oil-paper umbrella industry, offers visitors an opportunity to purchase and decorate its freshly-made umbrellas. The painting session takes place in the rustic courtyard of the studio, and is largely hands-on, with the studio employees offering occasional painting tips. You can exercise your creative juices and decorate your umbrella however you want, be it in the traditional illustrations of nature, or in more contemporary designs. Once you are done unleashing your inner artistry, take in the tranquillity that the countryside has to offer as you wait for your designs to dry. Don’t forget to bring the umbrella home after that too!
Furthermore, Taiwan was also the world’s largest umbrella manufacturer from the 1960s through the 1980s, supplying three-fourths of the umbrellas produced worldwide. At the time, hundreds of small companies on the island generated NT$12 billion (US$300 million at the exchange rate then) each year in export revenue. Although rising labor and land costs since the late 1980s have forced the labor-intensive manufacturing sector to move overseas, Taiwanese companies are still active in the industry, overseeing 30 percent of all global umbrella production.
