Since early times, Dugout Canoes have been used by the Shao aboriginal tribe of Sun Moon lake as an important mode of transport. Consequently, this item is extremely useful for research into Taiwanese aboriginal culture. The Canoe is carved from a single coarse block of wood which is exhausting to work. To make the canoe, the aborigines first burned the wood to turn it to charcoal which was then chipped away with stone. The process was repeated until the piece of wood was transformed into a canoe. The item is of rectangular shape with pointed prow, square stern and a hole bored into the tail section where it can be tied for mooring. Items such as this are extremely rare and important to be preserved as examples of traditional aboriginal culture.

Digital archive of Traditional Taiwanese  everyday items and customs
Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology: Department of Management information resources