Datong’s woodcraft heritage lives on in warm, fragrant brown tones.

text Jiang Yurang photo Zhang Jinrui偬以笆姓??br />
In Datong, many woodworking workshops include the character “Xie” (协) in their names. This is because creating a fine piece of work requires the combined efforts of carpentry, carving, and lacquering. Beyond signifying collaboration, it also represents a shared life and purpose. Woodworking in Datong is not just a traditional industry or a historical memory—it is the very spirit of the people here.

Though trees may fall, their life does not end there—it continues in another form. In the past, people would go up the mountains to fell timber in spring, then use the swollen waters of the Dahan River in summer to transport the wood to Datong. With easy access to raw materials and convenient transportation, timber was never in short supply during Datong’s early development. In those days, the Dahan River was much wider and deeper than it is now, allowing boats to sail downstream to Dadaocheng in just four hours. Coupled with the local production of camphor, tea, coal, and timber, international trade flourished, making many merchants wealthy. During the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, the wealthy merchant Lin Pinghou settled in Datong (his son later established the Banqiao Lin Benyuan Merchant House). He built the Tongyi Mansion on a plot of four acres and brought many craftsmen from the mainland, including carpenters. Before returning to the mainland, these craftsmen passed on their skills to local apprentices, whose descendants helped refine the techniques over generations. Datong’s woodcraft industry thus gained renown across Taiwan, becoming a distinctive local culture.
 
Although modern people often immediately associate Datong with dried tofu, the area’s God Table Road and Bridal Road are also very famous. God Table Road features works like Eight-Immortal Tables and Grandmaster Chairs, while Bridal Road includes items such as Eight-Legged Canopy Beds and dressing tables and chairs. This time, Teacher Fan is taking us on a journey through Datong’s woodcraft history.

The unassuming exterior of Zhai Ming Temple actually hides national treasures.
Speaking of Datong’s God Table Road, Teacher Fan first took us to Zhai Ming Temple, located across from the old street. During the Qing Dynasty, a farmer from Datong named Li A’jia became a monk and traveled to Fayu Temple on Mount Putuo in South China to study Buddhism. He was given the Dharma name Xingyue and, during the Daoguang era, brought back a statue of Guanyin to his hometown, where he built a hermitage to practice Buddhism. The temple was originally called Fufen Palace, the predecessor of Zhai Ming Temple. Later, when the Longhua sect of the Jiao religion became popular in Taiwan, the Fufen Palace lineage was transferred and the temple was rebuilt as Zhai Ming Hall. During the Japanese colonial period, because the abbot was ordained at Yongquan Temple in Gushan, Fuzhou, the temple became part of the Soto Zen sect of Buddhism. In the 12th year of the Showa era, under the threat of the Kōminka Movement, Zhai Ming Temple joined the Japanese Soto sect to survive—this is why the crests of Japan’s Eihei-ji and Sojiji temples appear above the left and right shrines. Currently, Zhai Ming Temple belongs to Dharma Drum Mountain and, in terms of lineage, has returned to the Chinese Soto sect.

On the outside, Zhai Ming Temple is a modest traditional three-section courtyard building. Though its facade features some rather exquisite decorations, it remains relatively understated compared to famous mountain temples. “Don’t underestimate this place—there are many treasures inside!” said Teacher Fan. The first item he showed us was the offering table in the main hall. Carved in 1937 from a single block of boxwood by master woodcarver Huang Guilí, the table depicts the theme “Emperor Tang Minghuang’s Night Visit to the Moon Palace.” The intricacy of the carving and the mastery of the technique are truly breathtaking. Whether it’s the openwork carvings or the inlaid lacquer finish, everything is flawless. The figures in the scene have varied postures and expressive faces, vividly alive, bustling and lively, like a grand celebratory performance for the gods.
Teacher Fan also reminded us to look up at the beams above the offering table. The black background with gold-inked Buddhist stories looks both elegant and unique. This technique, known as “Lei Jin painting,” was popular in Guangdong. It involves filtering gold leaf into fine powder during the painting process, hence the name. Because Lei Jin paintings are not commonly seen in Taiwanese temples, the Lei Jin beams at Zhai Ming Temple are especially precious.

The treasured relic of Zhai Ming Temple is the only replica in Taiwan of the Song Dynasty’s Qisha Canon. This classic scripture was woodblock-printed over 91 years by three generations of nuns during the Song and Yuan dynasties. It earned its name from the Qisha Yansheng Temple in Suzhou, where the carving began. Legend says that to focus on carving the scriptures, the nuns even amputated one of their arms to demonstrate their resolve. In 1931, Shanghai reprinted the scriptures using ancient blocks, and the abbot of Zhai Ming Temple immediately brought a set back from the mainland, setting a precedent for the preservation of ancient canon prints in Taiwan. Other treasures include authentic calligraphy works by Yu Youren and Yan Jiagan, as well as the Jingzi Pavilion behind the temple, built in the fifth year of the Tongzhi era (1866), all of which are well worth seeing.
 
InThe Li Tengfang Ancient Residence: Experiencing the Elegance of the Scholar-Gentry Class
After seeing how woodcraft is expressed in religion, we next headed to the Li Tengfang Ancient Residence to see how affluent families used woodcarving to decorate their facades. Even before entering the residence, the six pairs of upturned swallowtail ridges on the roof suggest that the owner was a prominent figure in the community. Li Tengfang was the only successful imperial examination candidate (Juren) in Datong’s history. His father made his fortune by trading rice along the Dahan River, and to this day, the splendid archway of the family’s “Jinxing” merchant store can still be seen at the intersection of Central Road and Desheng Road.