Bamboo weaving industry thrives in ancient town of China's Guangxi

Nandu town, a millennium-old town in Cenxi city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is known for its bamboo weaving skills, which have been designated as a local intangible cultural heritage.

Mo Yinglian, a 61-year-old villager in the town, is an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage. Having engaged in the bamboo weaving industry for more than 40 years, Mo has designed and made over 450 types of bamboo-woven products. She said bamboo weaving skills involve dozens of complex steps.

Thanks to Mo's exquisite craftsmanship, her works have won several prizes in the sector, and have been sold in Southeast Asia, Europe and the U.S.

“The ingenious product designs have made these traditional handicrafts popular in overseas markets," said Liu Juanhong, executive vice head of Nandu town.

The range of bamboo-woven products has increased from less than 100 types to over 1,000, including 200 types of quick sellers.

A student (R) learns the bamboo weaving skill from a teacher at Nandu primary school in Cenxi city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nov. 28, 2023.  (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

Nandu's bamboo weaving enterprises have used raw materials like bamboo strips, rattan, wood strips and iron wires to develop bamboo-rattan, bamboo-wood, and bamboo-iron products, which have been well received by the market. Sixteen enterprises specialize in bamboo weaving in Nandu. The bamboo weaving industry has become a characteristic industry in the town, with over 5,000 people engaging in the sector, with an annual output worth over 80 million yuan ($11.3 million).

Mo has been committed to promoting bamboo weaving skills in schools, giving lessons in various colleges and universities, training apprentices, and cultivating inheritors.

"Nandu will promote the export of bamboo-woven products by participating in international exhibitions, trade fairs and other activities," said Liu.

The official added that the town will explore new sales channels like cross-border e-commerce platforms to expand overseas markets for bamboo-woven products.

"With the advancement of cross-border e-commerce cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, I believe e-commerce will facilitate the development of the bamboo weaving industry," Liu said.