A Walking Museum of Wooden Buckets Chang Yu 桶桶都會做的老練巧手製桶專家─張雨
Tracing history
When it comes to wooden buckets, many people will related it to the trendy spa as an excellent bathing tool. But long before spa becomes so popular, wooden buckets were already prevalent home supplies during the Japanese occupation era. With Taiwanese high quality wood and Japanese crafting techniques, bucket-making has become an unique crafting skill.
Chang Yu, an expert of making wooden buckets, lives by the railway at the end of Wufu Road. The signboard "Mao-fa" of the shop was blown off during one typhoon, however, there is no need to reconstruct it since the shop is already famous enough among loyal customers.
Dexterous craftsman
Born in 1927, Chang Yu is a member of Hsitzuwan swimming club. Swimming every morning makes him look younger than his actual age. As a frequent mountain-climber, Chang Yu has conquered not only Tzaishan but also tougher mountains such as Yushan (Mountain Jade). As a result, he can still create those perfect hand-made wooden buckets with ease.
Chang learned bucket-making as an apprentice at the age of 15 in Lukang. In his youth, he has been to Yilan county, Taipei and Yuanlin town to master the crafting skill. He settled in Kaohsiung when he came here forty years ago. Whether it's Taiwanese, Classic or Japanese style, all can be perfectly made by him. " I can make almost every kind of bucket!" Chang said with confidence and self-esteem.
Recounting history
With vivid memory, Chang Yu speaks in a rather fast way. He does not only have a clear idea of every kind of buckets about their sizes and method of making, but also knows in detail about the origin and function. Bathing bucket, for example, used to have a corner space for burning coal to keep the water warm. Moreover, decades ago, wooden buckets played important roles in women's dowries.
Chang's customers can be found everywhere, including overseas fans from Japan. For once there is a client searching for a special bucket, and Chang is the only craftsman who can take his order and satisfy his requirement. Therefore, it is not exaggeration to call Chang Yu a walking museum of wooden buckets.
Half-retired life
Nowadays, Chang works 4 to 5 hours a day. Because his shop also serves as a gathering place for members of the swimming club, it is always full of friends and happiness. Compared with busy early days, Chang leads a more relaxing half-retried life now. He also travels abroad quite often. Before retiring, Chang hopes to make every style of buckets he knows to preserve this unique form of art, letting more people learn about the changes in Taiwan's life style through these buckets. What is bucket-making? For Chang, he gives his definition with a Taiwanese proverb: "Knowing how to do is better than merely watching; and mastering is the best!"
木桶風潮 淵源悠久
現代人提到木桶，多半會聯想到近年因 spa 養生風潮盛行而受注目的泡澡木桶，但其實在台灣，木桶曾是早年大量使用的家用品，尤其日治時代因為日本人對木桶特別講究、製桶技術精良，加上喜歡用台灣的木材，使得台灣的木桶製作也成了一門特殊的功夫。
在高雄市五福路底的鐵軌旁，就「藏」著一位木桶製作專家！製桶專家名叫張雨，是個有著晶亮目光的老先生；他的桶店名叫「茂發」，兩三年前招牌被颱風吹落，索性就不重做招牌，因為就算沒有招牌，知道的人也總是會找上門來。
老而彌堅 巧手製桶
民國十六年出生，已經七十好幾的張雨，是西子灣晨泳會員，天天早泳使他滿面紅光，不但看起來比實際年齡年輕十歲，身子骨也相當靈活，更經常登山，而且不是只走走柴山而已，舉凡玉山、大霸尖山等名嶽，都有他的足跡；難怪至今他仍然能以矯健的身手，完全以手工製作木桶。
在鹿港出生，十五歲就開始拜師學做木桶的張雨，年輕時跑遍宜蘭、台北、員林各地學藝，四十年前來到高雄，便在此定居下來。期間台式、古式以及日式木桶做法，張雨幾乎都學遍了，做了將近一輩子的木桶，張雨自豪地說，「差不多什麼桶子我都可以做得出來！」
生活歷史 點滴細數
記憶清楚、說話速度相當快的張雨，不但熟悉各種木桶的尺寸、做法，連用途、來由都清清楚楚。例如以前有些浴桶在角落設計有放碳爐暖水的空間，並且數十年前，有些木桶更是女孩子嫁妝的一部份，像是洗臉的「面桶」、洗腳的「腳桶」、方便用的「屎桶」、洗碗的「碗斗」，以及生孩子時接生用的「腰桶」等等。
向張雨訂做桶子的客人遍佈全臺、甚至日本；也曾經有人問遍全台，只有張雨了解並且懂得製作他所需要的木桶，因此說張雨是一個活的木桶博物館，一點也不為過。
功夫老練 悠閒創作
現在張雨每天只工作四、五個小時，由於桶店就是早泳會服務處，每天不時有早泳會朋友來串門子，比起早年的打拼，算是過著比較悠閒的半退休生活。
經常出國旅行、個性開朗的張雨，在退休前，想把自己會做的一些木桶都做出來，讓大家知道木桶的各種形式，從中了解台灣生活型態的演變。而張雨對於木桶製造這門功夫，也以一句諺語下了個註腳：「看見不如做見，做見不如老練。」畢竟光是「會做」是不夠的，還要純熟老練，此時才見真功夫！