客家藍衫 (Kejia lan shan)
Lanshan (藍衫 — 'blue garment') is the Hakka Chinese community's defining textile tradition in Taiwan — the deep indigo-dyed cotton or ramie cloth worn as the daily and ceremonial garment of Hakka women in Hsinchu, Miaoli, and Taoyuan Counties. The Hakka indigo tradition differs from Japanese aizome (CRAFT-0470) and other Asian indigo traditions in using a fermentation vat process that is maintained at a specific slightly acidic pH — assessed not by instrument but by the vat's smell: correct fermentation produces a sour-sweet smell like fermented fruit; over-fermentation produces an ammonia-like smell indicating vat alkalinity failure; under-fermentation produces a raw grass smell indicating insufficient bacterial activity. This olfactory vat assessment is the primary tacit knowledge of Hakka lanshan indigo dyeing.
Risk level: Endangered · Taiwan national ICH list; Hakka cultural heritage designation
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