Kokomu Music Box Workshop

Revitalizing Puli’s Woodworking Industry

By Liao Si-yu ‧ Photography by Chen Mei-chih

Blessed with unique natural conditions, Nantou’s Puli is renowned for its wineries and paper arts. Yet, few realize that from the 1960s to the 1970s, this region was a major hub for the handicraft industry. At that time, over two hundred woodworking factories specialized in crafting wooden products, including Christmas ornaments and music boxes, which were then exported to Europe and the Americas.

With domestic industrial restructuring and the rise of low-cost labor elsewhere, factories gradually relocated to China and Southeast Asia, causing the once-thriving handicraft scene in Puli to vanish almost overnight. In August 2012, a business owner brought a wooden music box factory—previously moved to China—back to Puli, transforming it into a tourist workshop named “Kokomu Music Box Workshop” (hereinafter referred to as Kokomu). This initiative not only showcases the history of Puli’s early handicrafts and educates the public about the town’s former woodworking glory but also reconnects with the shared memories of the older generation who crafted these wooden items. By integrating design and branding concepts, Kokomu creates wooden products distinct from the past, injecting new vitality into traditional industries through cultural innovation.

Masterful Techniques: Crafting Fairy-Tale Nutcrackers

Kokomu’s predecessor was “Haishan Handicraft Co.,” jointly operated by the father, uncle, and great-uncle of second-generation owner Shi Wen-jie. Initially, they focused on beadwork and round wooden items (such as chair legs). Impressed by the high quality of these products, U.S. military personnel would purchase them as gifts for friends and family back home. This exposure caught the attention of traders, who recognized Haishan’s capability in woodworking and began placing orders. Thus, Haishan embarked on a journey to produce Christmas ornaments and nutcrackers, becoming one of the few craft societies in Taiwan capable of manufacturing nutcrackers at the time.

Upon entering Kokomu, visitors are greeted by a row of nutcracker dolls, dressed in various hats and coats with lively and amusing expressions. Second-generation owner Shi Wen-jie explains that these were produced by the previous generation. They were locally known as “Che-ji-ah” (in Taiwanese), as they were crafted by turning wood into cones or circles on a lathe, followed by gluing, assembly, and painting in vibrant colors. Such meticulous craftsmanship requires years of dedicated learning to master.

One particularly unique small nutcracker doll features an opening in its belly. When an incense material similar to sandalwood is placed inside and lit, smoke emanates from its mouth, creating a captivating fragrance. Hence, it is called an “Incense Puppet.” Similar crafts exist in Germany’s Schaffhausen, though those versions are larger.

The nutcracker originates from “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” written by German Romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. Set on Christmas Eve, the story follows a young girl who receives a nutcracker soldier as a gift, embarking on a magical journey where she helps the nutcracker defeat the evil Mouse King, allowing him to transform back into a prince. To thank her, the prince takes her to his kingdom to admire the candy castle’s architecture and dance with her in the snow... In 1892, Russian music master Tchaikovsky adapted this tale into the famous ballet “The Nutcracker.” Inspired by this classic, Shi Wen-jie has set up a small screen at the entrance to play the film, allowing visitors to deeply feel the magical charm of the nutcracker.

Good Times Don’t Last: The Gradual Relocation of the Woodworking Industry

The products made by Kokomu evolved based on foreign preferences, eventually expanding to include windmills, glass snow globes, jewelry boxes, and music boxes. Currently, over 6,000 finished products are on display, featuring scenes such as Christmas nights and balls, as well as lifelike animal figures and home decorations. This exposure allowed the small town of Puli to engage with Western culture early on, helping residents understand the significance behind Christmas.

Shi Wen-jie recalls helping his sister make glass snow globes in his childhood. The process involved stuffing large models into snow globes filled with water, glitter, and anti-leak agents, squeezing out excess air, applying a layer of glue, and finally placing the music mechanism in the base. The snow globe music box was then complete. The process required continuous, uninterrupted action, resembling a small-scale processing plant. At the time, there were three to four hundred local painters specializing in model painting, whose exquisite workmanship rivaled that of professional masters, showcasing Puli’s exceptionally high artistic achievement.

However, this golden age of craftsmanship did not last. With the rise of low-cost labor in Southeast Asia and mainland China, nearly all woodworking factories in Puli relocated by around 1990, and Kokomu was no exception. “When setting up a factory in mainland China, we needed to hire nearly a thousand employees to meet the demands of large orders. In contrast, we couldn’t produce high-quality goods. Later, due to policy changes in China, we were forced to relocate again—first to Songgang, then to Yanchuan and Huizhou. For Taiwanese businessmen, each relocation costs at least ten million New Taiwan Dollars. My father often joked that if it weren’t for supporting the family, he wouldn’t have gone to mainland China. We didn’t make much money; the rent alone added up to over one hundred million. Sometimes, employees would intentionally injure themselves to fraudulently claim insurance benefits, causing numerous management issues and personnel costs.” Shi Wen-jie highlights the difficulties his father faced over eighteen years in China, challenges common to many Taiwanese business owners.

As labor costs in China gradually increased, Taiwanese woodworking factories began to close, and Kokomu returned to Puli. Unwilling to let his father’s hard-earned legacy fade away, and hoping to raise awareness of Puli’s woodworking heritage, Shi Wen-jie decided to restart through the model of a tourist factory, focusing on two main pillars: “taking orders” and “operating the workshop.”

For more exciting content in 2014, please see “Mature Age Magazine, January 2014 Issue (NO.22)”!