The earliest record of wild rushes can be dated to 1727 when two Taokas women collected wild rushes from the lower reaches of the Da-an River and wove them into mats and containers. Later, rush weaving skills spread to Han villages such as Yuanli Village and Dajia Street. In 1897, a woman named Hong Yang from Yuanli started to weave rushes into Western-style hats. Due to their modern appearance, light texture and rush scent, these products became increasingly popular in the Japanese market, especially under the influence of Meiji Restoration and Westernization.

During the Japanese colonial period, over ninety percent of Yuanli women were engaged in rush weaving, the main source of income for many families. The local public schools even offered rush weaving courses, contributing to the prosperity of the rush industry in Yuanli Township. The rush weaving craftsmanship has been passed down from generation to generation and has become a shared cultural memory of local residents.

However, by the 1960s, with the rise of plastic products, people began to seek better work opportunities in factories, and the home rush weaving gradually disappeared. Fortunately, in the last two decades, thanks to Taiwan Yuan-Li Handiwork Association and Yuan-Li Triangle