Willow Steamer Baskets

Willow Steamer Baskets

　　These are a traditional craft from Shuoyang Village in Hubei Township, Ningde, with a history spanning several hundred years. At an altitude of 800 meters, Shuoyang Village is a coastal mountainous area with frequent sea fogs and a moist climate, ideal for willow tree growth—there are many willows over a century old. Locals use willow wood to make steamer baskets, which are sold across the province, to Hong Kong, and throughout Southeast Asia. In the 1970s, the Hubei Commune once operated a steamer basket factory with an annual output value exceeding one million yuan. Production was later halted due to changes in overseas markets and resource shortages. In the late 1980s, domestic and international demand picked up again, reviving the industry. Currently, there are two steamer basket factories in Shuoyang and Longyang, employing a total of 110 workers with fixed assets of 60,000 yuan. In 1992, the output value reached 2.65 million yuan, export earnings hit 1.95 million yuan, and profits and taxes amounted to 590,000 yuan.