රටා වලින් ලොවම ජයගත් ඇන්හුයි වියන්නන්

Anhui villagers embrace wickerwork to weave better lives

Villagers in a town of east China's Anhui Province have created a better life with handmade wickerwork.

Huanggang Town in Funan County is famous for its delicate wickerwork. The 500-year-old craft was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.

From artistic crafts, to daily necessities, all the practical and beautiful wickerwork are made with Salix integra - a thin withy plant.

"Huanggang Town is a flood-prone area. When there was a flood, all the crops would be destroyed, but only Salix integra can grow. Farmers used this plant to make daily necessities, and this has gradually developed into an industry. In 2023, the wickerwork industry in our county surpassed 1 billion yuan (about 138 million U.S. dollars) in value," said Li Jun, deputy head of Huanggang Town.

The traditional Chinese wickerwork products in Huanggang are primarily oriented for international consumers who love wickerwork.

Since 1984, Huanggang's wickerwork products have reached the world through the Canton Fair, with exports to more than 120 countries.

"Our wickerwork products for pets are aimed at the European and American markets. We mainly sell them to developed countries, like the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Spain and Italy," said Yang Yi, general manager of Daziran Crafts Co., Ltd.

Rather than working in factories, local villagers often do the wickerwork at home. This allows them to earn more money in their spare time.

Ju Wenfu, one of villagers' brokers, takes orders from factories and distributes them among his neighbors.

"We get about 100,000 yuan of orders every month. The total income will be approximately 1 million yuan a year. I want to help our villagers more and increase their incomes. If they have any technical difficulties, we can come and help," Ju said.

This centuries-old handicraft will continue to benefit people's lives in the future, as the younger generation here gradually takes over the baton.

Every week, local students take a wickerwork class, which aims to not only develop their interest, but also for their aesthetic education.

"I hope our wickerwork craft can keep passing down to become a popular thing worldwide," said Zhou Chengxian, a student of the Huanggang Town Central Primary School.

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