Early this century, a local named Wu Chin-pao was clearing a patch of land on a hillside when by chance he discovered the strange beauty of these dry tree roots and took the wood home where he cleaned it up, lacquered it and put it on display in his house. Some Japanese noticed the artistic merit of these pieces and together they and Wu began to produce them and sell them in large quantities.
直到本世紀初期，才有一位鄉民吳進寶在開發山坡地時無意間發現這些枯樹根的怪異美麗，便把木頭帶回家加工上漆，當作家庭擺設，結果被日本人發現具有藝術的價值，而大量生產販賣。