Kuang Chin Sheng Paper Umbrella

Top choice in Southern Taiwan

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This shop in a courtyard house is the Louis Vuitton of Taiwanese oil-paper umbrellas. It was founded during Japanese rule and appeared on the cover of an American magazine in 1976. The umbrellas feature intricate paintings of Meinong, cherry blossoms, and water fowl in bright but balanced palettes. It's real craftsmanship at work here.

The most expensive parasols take two days to make and have a drying time of seven days. Prior to that the bamboo is soaked in water for over a month to remove the sugar content. Persimmon oil is brushed onto paper to make it waterproof. Children can paint their own umbrellas on the spot – it's NT$100 for a plain mini-umbrella and paints.

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