98-year-old broomseller gains online following in Taiwan

台灣98歲掃帚賣家在網路上獲得粉絲

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As he approaches 100, Chang Shui (張水) often talks about retirement, a time when he will no longer walk the streets of Taiwan's east coast peddling handmade brooms from street corners.

The 98-year-old is a reminder of yesteryear when tradesmen went door to door selling their wares or sharpening knives and fixing mosquito netting in doors and windows.

Born to an agricultural family in Changhua, he left at the age of 30 as the family had too many sons working a small two-hectare plot of land. Regardless, the work was hard, and he moved to Taitung, where he learned how to make brooms.

He eventually developed his own broom-tying technique that relied upon strong wrists to tie the local "boar's ear" grass to bamboo handles. Brooms must be tied properly, otherwise, they can come loose after a single sweep.

His reputation soon spread, winning over customers across Taiwan as he boasted his brooms can last up to five years.

Taiwanese, now nostalgic for an earlier era, post about Chang’s whereabouts online per CNA. At each location, he sells two varieties of brooms, a large broom for sweeping the floor, and a smaller version for cleaning tables and altars. He tells customers to buy an “even” number of brooms for good fortune.

His brooms are considered auspicious and used in the "Bombing of Lord Handan" folk event around Lantern Festival in Taitung each year. This event culminates in bare-chested men braving firecrackers while standing on a sedan chair carried by porters brandishing Chang's brooms as protection.

Throughout the year, some families hang Chang's brooms upside down in their homes to ward off evil and bring good fortune. Such demand for his brooms has led his two sons and granddaughter to carry on his business, either selling his handmade brooms from a truck parked on the side of the road, or at stores in Taichung and Taitung.

Numerous social media posts attest to the quality of Chang's brooms. Some netizens say their family has been using his brooms for generations. Others say his grass broom is a work of art, a priceless reminder of a bygone era.

After nearly a century, Chang remains an inspiration to many people who interact with him. They appreciate him for not only continuing the craft of broom making but also for reminding people about connecting with their environment and a simpler way of life.