Colorful Huzhou · Cultural Treasure：Anji bamboo weaving

In the green mountains and clear waters of southwestern Huzhou, Anji County is renowned for its graceful bamboo weaving skills. This folk craft, which originated at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, has been passed down and refined over more than 400 years. It has evolved from everyday household items into a precious intangible cultural heritage that carries the memory of national culture. Anji County is known as China's first bamboo village. These green bamboos, transformed by artisans into intricate works of art, not only tell the wisdom of ancient craftsmanship but also rejuvenate the cultural vitality of the new era.

A thousand threads of bamboo, crafted with meticulous care to weave the code of intangible cultural heritage. The essence of Anji bamboo weaving lies in its intricate processes. From selecting bamboo, scraping green, and splitting the bamboo strips, to boiling the strips to remove sugars and dyeing with plants, and then threading, inserting, trimming, and locking during weaving, artisans must go through over twenty steps to transform bamboo strips into works of art. The bamboo used here comes from local species such as Moso bamboo, Filax bamboo, and Purple bamboo, which become flexible and resistant to decay after high-temperature cooking. Dyeing them endows the bamboo products with natural colors and vitality. With their fingers flying, artisans weave the bamboo strips into dense patterns like brocade or light as gossamer, crafting the rounded edges of hats, the intricate designs of baskets, and the textured surfaces of mats. Each piece is a vivid testament to their unique craftsmanship.

Time-honored craftsmanship weaves the beauty of life and art. The charm of Anji bamboo weaving lies in its seamless blend of practicality and aesthetics across time and space. Traditional bamboo weaving encompasses over a hundred household items, including hats, sieves, and baskets; while new-generation artisans infuse intangible cultural heritage with modern creativity, designing bamboo lamps, cultural and creative ornaments, and educational tools, bringing ancient skills into urban homes and aesthetic education classrooms. From rural courtyards to international exhibition stands, Anji bamboo weaving, with its "soft enough to be held in the hand, yet strong enough to bear weight," has become a cultural symbol bridging rural memories and fashionable lifestyles.

Adhering to principles while innovating, bamboo threads are driving rural revitalization. Under the dual opportunities of intangible cultural heritage protection and rural revitalization, Anji bamboo weaving is writing a new chapter. The Anji County Party Committee and County Government have promoted the transformation from "finger skills" to "finger economy" through policy support, talent training, and e-commerce empowerment. According to incomplete statistics, in 2023, the total output value of the bamboo industry in Anji reached 18.028 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.65%, with products exported to over 30 countries including the United States, Japan, the Netherlands, and France. A single bamboo thread not only weaves a living path for intangible cultural heritage inheritance but also weaves a picture of prosperity for the people.
Anji bamboo weaving is an ecological wisdom nurtured by Xiushui in Huzhou, and it is the cultural gene passed down by Anji artisans. As bamboo strips continue to thrive in the hands of generations of craftsmen, this intangible cultural heritage has transcended its physical form, becoming a vivid testament to the diligence and innovation of the Chinese nation. Today, Anji is using bamboo as a medium to let traditional crafts shine brightly in rural revitalization, showcasing the resilience and brilliance of China's intangible cultural heritage to the world.