Yuyao Straw Weaving

Yuyao Straw Weaving

　　Straw weaving is a traditional and outstanding folk craft in China. Historical records indicate that the history of Yuyao straw weaving dates back at least 200 years. During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, the craft of straw hat weaving was introduced to Yuyao from other regions. The "Yuyao Liucang Records" describe: “The straw hat, commonly known as the cool hat, is made by female artisans.” A folk rhyme also circulates: “The three treasures of northern Yuyao are cotton, white salt, and straw cool hats.” After the liberation, Yuyao established the Yuyao Straw Weaving Craft Research Institute and a straw weaving factory on Nanbinjiang Road in the urban area, responsible for the technical aspects of straw weaving across the region, as well as procurement and export of the products.

　　　　Around 1922, the owner of a foreign trading firm in France noticed that women in Yuyao were skilled in weaving with exquisite craftsmanship and low wages. He transported golden grass (a type of straw) produced in Southeast Asia to places like Yuyao, organized local women to weave it into straw hats, and then sold them to European and American countries. Later, Chinese and foreign merchants successively set up dozens of straw hat shops of various sizes in downtown Yuyao and Changhe in eastern Yuyao. Agents hired by these shops were frequently active in the area, distributing straw materials and purchasing cool hats. From then on, a commercial network for golden straw hats centered around Yuyao was formed, making Yuyao the processing and production hub for golden straw hats. The scene of “no idle women along the ten-mile-long street, every household a straw hat weaver” emerged, and Yuyao became widely known as the “hometown of straw weaving.” Using golden straw as the material, the basic production process is as follows: first, the hat is woven into a rough shape (hat blank), then the excess straw around the brim is trimmed, and the hat is soaked in a bleaching powder solution for about 15 hours before being taken out, rinsed clean with water, and sun-dried. Once dried, it is polished with a smooth stone like an egg, then ironed flat, and the edges are trimmed. In this way, a beautiful golden straw hat is completed. There are four basic styles of golden straw hats: the two-core golden straw hat, the paired-pattern single-core golden straw hat, the double-strand golden straw hat, and the flared-style hat (also called the long-neck hat). Golden straw hats are pure white, soft, and have an excellent hand feel. With their fine weaving, the hats appear shiny, elegant, and luxurious, especially favored by women in Europe and America. The weaving of golden straw hats experienced a period of vigorous growth in the late 1920s, with over 10,000 women participating in the craft, producing up to 1.2 million hats annually. The skill and artistry of the straw-weaving women were truly astounding. However, in 1937, the outbreak of the War of Resistance caused shipping blockages, interrupted raw material supplies, and halted exports, pushing the once-flourishing golden straw hat industry to the brink of extinction.

　　　　After the founding of New China, the straw hat weaving industry was revitalized. The “Yuyao Straw Weaving Arts and Crafts Factory” was established. Particularly in terms of weaving techniques, significant reforms were made based on the original flat weaving method, incorporating and drawing inspiration from bamboo weaving techniques to create overlapping interlacing patterns, giving the finished straw hats a layered feel. The design also evolved from the single-core style to include double-core, triple-core, hollow-core, overlapping-core, and braid-core styles. The materials used for weaving also expanded from the original single type of golden straw to include more than 10 types such as natal grass, silver straw, and salt marsh grass. Yuyao straw weaving has further developed to include dozens of product categories such as various types of hats, baskets, carpets, door curtains, shoes, toys, gifts, bags, and mats — totaling over 1,000 styles. Straw weaving crafts are widely praised for their exquisite craftsmanship and novel patterns. From the 1970s to the 1980s, a large number of straw weaving products were exported to over 80 countries and regions including the UK, US, France, and Japan. Currently, Yuyao’s straw weaving craft continues to evolve with the times. Notably, salt marsh straw cool hats woven by local women using locally produced salt marsh grass have become the most popular straw hat products after golden straw hats. Meanwhile, in both eastern and western parts of Yuyao, iris grass is now being cultivated, and various joint-venture iris grass companies have been established. These companies use machinery instead of manual labor to produce straw hats, straw mats, tatami mats, and other straw weaving handicrafts for export.