Oil Paper Umbrella－Taiwan

Hi, I am Jannie.

I would like to talk about Oil Paper Umbrella which is one of the most popular and beautiful souvenir in Taiwan.

Oil Paper Umbrella

Guang Jin-Sheng is the founder of Meingung Oil Paper Umbrella and since most of the factory machines were imported from Guangdong Province, China factories are named after Guang.The first production of Oil Paper Umbrella is the Meinung Township.At the most prosperous time of their manufacturing there was as much as 20 factories producing 20000 umbrellas per year.

The Hakka word for paper has the same sound as for having child so the umbrella is often used as auspicious for having many children. The character of umbrella also represents a group of people under a shelter symbolizes many children or unity under one roof.

Oil Paper Umbrella is used as a gift to symbolize good luck. The paper Umbrella also has the meaning of reunion. It is also used as a wedding gifts from mother to daughter to wish her having a full house of children.Today the Oil Paper Umbrella is now more seen as a form of art. Businesses of Oil Paper Umbrella is being replaced by the lower cost and faster produced of western umbrellas making the traditional industry decline. Adding on to that the word Umbrella also has a similar pronunciation in Fujian dialect means separate ,so people nowsday don’t like to give it as gifts.