China Willow Weaving Culture and Art Museum

China Willow Weaving Culture and Art Museum

The China Willow Weaving Culture and Art Museum is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

The China Willow Weaving Culture and Art Museum is located at the west end of Shuhe West Street in Linshu County and is a national AA-level tourist attraction. The design concept of the museum is inspired by the osier willow. The gate is shaped by transforming the oracle bone script character for "willow" and extending it to both sides. The interior is divided into five major exhibition areas—History, Materials, Craftsmanship, Products, and Development & Outlook—based on the shape of willow buds. Through texts, images, physical objects, films, and modern high-tech information systems, the museum presents a comprehensive, multi-layered display of the historical development of willow weaving. It is the first art exhibition hall in China themed around willow weaving culture. The museum houses over 100 pieces of text and image content, 12 large-scale special willow weaving exhibits modeled after various animals, plants, cultural relics, and figures, as well as more than 2,000 types of willow weaving cultural relics and physical objects (including home furnishings, decorations, gardening items, packaging, etc.) from across the country. Designed by the Shandong College of Arts, the museum was built with an investment of 48 million yuan and covers a total area of 26,000 square meters (including a supporting willow products exhibition and sales center). Local handicraft companies such as Linshu Qinglang and Jinliu have set up dedicated exhibition halls within the museum, achieving synchronized progress in infrastructure construction and the development of an online exhibition hall.

The construction of the China Willow Weaving Culture and Art Museum provides a broad platform for the inheritance and development of willow weaving culture. It plays a positive role in promoting willow weaving culture, enhancing willow weaving art, advancing the development of the willow weaving industry, and guiding the rational development, utilization, and protection of willow weaving cultural resources.

The History Exhibition Area mainly showcases the origin and development of Chinese willow weaving as well as willow culture, including distribution maps of willow weaving production areas, Chinese willow culture, and global willow culture. The Materials Exhibition Area primarily displays the morphology, characteristics, and varieties of the osier willow. Notably, Liu Dequan, a willow weaving technician and the only national model worker in the willow weaving industry, is highlighted here. The Handicrafts Exhibition Area features willow weaving products made using various weaving techniques such as flat weaving, upright weaving, bound weaving, and mixed weaving, also showcasing the perfect combination of willow craftsmanship and ironwork. The Products Area presents handcrafted, daily-use, and furniture items made from willow, including those from Linshu, other parts of China, and around the world. The Development & Outlook Area reviews and looks ahead to the past, present, and future of the Linshu willow weaving industry.

Linshu’s willow weaving culture has a long and profound history. To this day, Linyi’s willow weaving industry dominates half of China, earning the reputation: “For willow weaving, look to China; for Chinese willow weaving, look to Shandong; for Shandong’s willow weaving, look to Linshu.”