Ka-tsi

Qie Zhi Bag, originally known as Jiao Jian (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ka-chù, ka-chì), also known as Jia Jian Zi or Jiao Jian Zi, and similar to new products called Taike Bag or Retro Bag, is a traditional type of handbag from Taiwan. It is slightly wider at the top than the bottom, and can be used as a school bag, document bag, or hand-held bag.

The Qie Zhi Bag is said to have originated in Jingliao Village, Houbi District, Tainan City. It was initially hand-woven from Cyperus malaccensis (triangular sedge), known as 'grass bag'. Later, it evolved into a semi-transparent handbag made from nylon mesh. The earliest Qie Zhi Bags were made through a complex weaving process, with a single person being able to produce only five or six bags a day, selling each for two to three dollars. Besides making Qie Zhi Bags, the material was also used for crafting ropes, hats, and other household items. The sedge grass used in the past had to be sun-dried and cooled manually. Then, it was flattened using a tool similar to a 'stone wheel.' During the flattening process, rice bran was added, whose oils made the sedge smoother, facilitating the subsequent weaving work.

However, after 1971, due to land reformation, farmers abandoned sedge grass in favor of economically valuable rice crops. At the same time, plastic products surged in popularity, leading to the Qie Zhi Bag's material shifting from the moisture-sensitive and mold-prone sedge grass to plastic nylon fabric. The waterproof and durable nature of nylon also led to the widespread use of the Qie Zhi Bag. Its most classic design features horizontal stripes in red, green, and blue. In Japan, the Qie Zhi Bag is known as the 'Fisherman's Bag'. This name is said to stem from the bag's material resembling the nets used by fishermen. In Korea, it's referred to as the 'Traditional Taiwanese Bag' ( ) or transliterated from its Chinese pronunciation as Qie Zhi Bag ( ). In English, it is named 'KA-TSI,' taking after its Taiwanese pronunciation. Regardless of its name, the Qie Zhi Bag has always played a modest and unassuming role in the daily lives of Taiwanese people, being a common object among them.

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