On the contrary, it is very much a part of our everyday lives. Our forefathers liked to plant bamboo groves outside their homes. One reason was the auspicious ring of the phrase "to plant bamboo" (homophonous in Taiwanese dialect with "cultivate virtue"). Besides, they could dig up tender bamboo sprouts for the dinner table, and could use mature bamboo for furniture and basketry.
竹子一直是中國文人心靈修為上的寄託，然而，所謂「無竹令人俗」，竹子並不因此成為象徵的圖騰，反而成為人們生活的一部份；先民喜在住家附近廣栽竹林，因為「種竹」即「種德（台語音）」，竹筍脆嫩鮮甜，竹莖可製家具，又能編織器具。