Bamboo pillow

Last updated 2026-11-10 — It is a traditional product of Ningde. It became famous for being presented as a tribute. The craft was originally introduced from Shan’yang in Gutian and gradually refined over generations. It flourished in the second year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1910), employing over 40 workers. By the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929), production had dwindled to just over 500; by the 31st year of the Republic of China, only two workshops remained—“Ma Renji” and “Ruan Zhongji”; in 1949, only one workshop, “Ma Renji,” remained, producing just over 70 per year. In 1985, a craft and art factory was established, which recruited five skilled artisans including Ma Jinming and Ruan Cancan, descendants of the Ma and Ruan families, along with ten apprentices to form a bamboo weaving workshop. Later, due to unresolved issues regarding technical patent protection, the artisans were reluctant to pass on their skills, bringing this traditional craft close to extinction.