Abandoned straw transformed into art — A 64-year-old craftsman weaves and markets his creations in Japan and the U.S.

▲What to do with discarded straw? Li Long, 64, has pioneered unique woven products that have gained international recognition as an alternative source of Taiwanese pride. (Photo / Provided by Pingtung County Government)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

What can be done with leftover straw after rice harvesting? Besides being treated as agricultural waste or compost material, some people burn it, causing environmental issues. Li Long, a 64-year-old from Changzhi, Pingtung, uses his skilled hands to turn straw into various artworks, even exporting them to Japan, with business inquiries also coming from the United States. He blends green sustainability with cultural creativity, adding new value to agricultural arts and breathing fresh life into the farming landscape.

While others grow rice mainly for the grains, Li Long starts harvesting the straw while it’s still green. He explains that others want the rice ears, but he only wants the stalks. In the past, he had to ask rice farmers to leave the stalks behind after harvest, but recently he simply started growing his own rice just to harvest the stalks. He rents about half a hectare of land next to his workshop to cultivate rice. Li notes that this is regenerated rice, which grows new leaves again within a month after being cut, allowing for over ten harvests per year. He says the straw is harvested when it reaches 90 to 120 cm in length, then undergoes prolonged high-temperature drying. Even after drying, it retains its greenish hue and the natural scent of straw. It is then stored at low temperatures before being hand-braided into long, plaited strands.

%The various woven products he creates are all semi-finished items made by his skilled hands. (Image / Provided by Li Long)

Li Long says these are semi-finished products that are exported to Japan, where local artisans further process and decorate them for various purposes. He points out that these items are used in Japan for blessings, similar to the decorative altars and ornaments used during festivals and holidays in Taiwan, and they are very popular among Japanese customers, with several shipping containers worth exported each year. Li adds that besides exporting semi-finished goods, he also conducts workshops in Taiwan, teaching weaving techniques. After giving classes in other cities and counties, many students have even traveled to Pingtung specifically to visit his rice fields and learn more advanced weaving skills.

From the most traditional straw ropes, Japan’s “shimenawa” (sacred straw ropes), good luck charms, to even Christmas decorations, he has been invited to participate in exhibitions and performances. Some have even requested custom-made pieces to be given as gifts. He emphasizes that as a child of farming families, he holds a special affection for every blade of grass, tree, and stone in the countryside. By using his creativity to turn straw, deadwood, or stones into various innovative products, he not only breathes new life into agricultural waste but also builds a lifelong career in the craft of straw rope artistry.