The Bamboo Waterwheel

Taiwan has a geographical feature of intensely uneven heights, with rivers short and the water running fast. Ditches and reservoirs for irrigation are devices constructed for such geographical environments. Waterwheels, which could move water to high land, were commonly used in the farming areas of early Taiwan, and they worked on the power of men, animals, and/or water. Bamboo waterwheels used the natural power of the river to push water from low fields to high lands. The craftsmen managed to resolve the problems in their daily lives with their crafting skills by making full use of natural resources such as bamboo. The artwork shows how natural crafting materials and outstanding crafting skills are integrated with people’s daily life in Taiwan.

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竹製水車

台灣島嶼地形高低落差懸殊、河川流域短促，不論是灌溉圳渠或是蓄水埤塘，都是因應台灣地理條件產生的重要的水利設施。其中為了克服水往低處流的特性，一種能引水灌溉高地的農具─水車，在昔日台灣農村普遍可見，有耗費人力、使用獸力、借用水力的各種不同水車。「竹製水車」即是借用河川流水的力量，將水由低處引到高處的巧妙設施，利用就地取材的竹管特性，經過工匠精湛的工藝技術，作出解決日常生活問題的產品，充分見証了台灣「工藝生活化」的本色。