Umbrella repairman sustains business in ‘city of rain’ for 35 years
Umbrella repairman sustains business in ‘city of rain’ for 35 years
2026-06-12
Most people these days throw away their umbrella when it breaks rather than fixing it, meaning that the art of umbrella repair is slowly fading away. But in the “rainy city” of Keelung, one repairman has stayed in business for 35 years and counting, although he only works on rainy days. While he could have retired long ago, he stays in business for his loyal customers. After all, he’s not just fixing umbrellas—he’s keeping a Keelung pastime alive.
This repairman barely had time to finish parking before his loyal customers showed up to buy umbrellas. Whenever he has a moment, he works on repairs.
Peering through his glasses, he carefully strips the ribs and rivets from an old umbrella and replaces them with new ones, giving new life to an item destined for the trash.
This is umbrella repairman Chang Chin-chang. He’s been in the trade for 35 years. From classic local brands to expensive imports, nothing is too difficult for him. Since he spent a decade working at an umbrella factory, after a failed business venture, he fell back on selling and fixing umbrellas for a living.
Chang Chin-chang
Umbrella repairman
Since my business failed, I felt a lot of pressure.
He managed to carve out a niche for himself, with his wife acting as a capable assistant. He gradually built a reputation within local markets and night markets, earning a loyal following. Although he’s well past retirement age, he keeps working to make sure his regulars have someone to go to. But his hours are unique: He only works on rainy days.
Chang Chin-chang
Umbrella repairman
If seniors over 70 or 80 come to me for a repair, I’ll do it for free. I turn the fabric into bags and save the other parts as spares. I try to keep the waste to a minimum.
Chang fixes what can be saved and recycles whatever can’t, turning this dying craft into a hallmark of Taiwan’s rainy city. He proves that in Keelung, the community spirit is the one thing that will never wash away.
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#Keelung #umbrellas #repairman #recycle #rain #rainycity #zerowaste #sustainability #localtradition #umbrellarepair
雨都特色! 只有下雨天才營業基隆修傘達人堅守35年
2026-06-12
現代人，雨傘壞了多半就丟了，很少人會送修，也因此會修傘的技術也逐漸失傳。在雨都基隆，有一位修傘達人，他修傘修了三十五年。但只下雨天才會開張營業，雖然早就可以退休，但他擔心老顧客找不到人修傘，他還是堅持繼續修傘，因為他修的不只是傘，更是老基隆人捨不得丟的回憶。
才剛把小貨車停好，就有不少老顧客上門買傘，空檔之餘還得修傘。
老闆戴著眼鏡，仔細地從舊傘上拆下傘骨拆除鉚釘，再換上新的傘骨，讓原本要被丟棄的傘，獲得了新生命。
他，是修傘達人張錦昌，修傘這一行他一做就是35年，從經典的本土傘、到昂貴的進口傘，通通難不倒他，原來他曾在製傘工廠待了10年，又創業失敗，只好以賣傘、修傘維生。
[[修傘達人 張錦昌]]
“壓力很大，因為之前經商失敗。”
修傘也能修出一片天，妻子是他好幫手，逐漸在市場跟夜市打出口碑，還有不少死忠顧客。雖然早已到了退休年紀，但他也擔心老主顧找不到人修傘，只是他的營業時間很特別，只有下雨才開張。
[[修傘達人 張錦昌]]
“七八十歲以上，有上年紀的老人來修，那種我都是免費在修的啦，傘布做環保袋，其他可以做材料，盡量垃圾量就用到最少。”
能修的傘盡量修，不能修的還能拆解再利用，沒人想學的特殊技能，在基隆的雨天裡卻是最窩心的守護，也是一份滿滿的，屬於雨都的溫暖與人情。
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