In addition to taking part in salt-related work, children of the Salt Village would go to nearby areas to learn other trades. Most of them learned woodcarving, and Nanliao Salt Village used to be called "Whittler's Nest" for a time.
鹽忙之外，鹽村子弟則到附近地區另學一技之長，最多的是木工雕刻，南寮鹽村因而也有過木工鑿花「刺花巢」的稱呼。