Reeds in Zhoucheng

Reeds in Zhoucheng

　　Historically, Zhoucheng was surrounded by water on all sides. From the Old West Gate to the Small West Gate, west of Guijingzi at the South City Corner; both sides of the South Gate; the area around Daxue Street west of the Great East Gate (now Wenchang Village); and east of the North Gate as well as near the current mosque, the city was mostly encircled by ponds. These ponds were overgrown with reeds, covering a total area of more than 2,000 mu. Until the 1960s, reeds were still abundant here.

　　There were two types of reeds in Zhoucheng. Locals called those that grew reed spikes “spike reeds,” and those that did not “female-head reeds.” They were harvested twice a year: those cut during the dog days were called “dog-day reeds,” and those harvested in autumn were called “autumn reeds.” Dog-day reeds were soft and made excellent materials for weaving reed mats and reed bags; autumn reeds were slightly inferior and could be used to make reed mats for bedding. These reed materials were an important source of income for the people of Zhoucheng at the time. Reed and reed-woven products were once very popular in Heze, Wenshang, and Ningyang. Especially the reed bags, which in the 1950s, due to a shortage of burlap sacks and before plastic bags became everyday items, became highly sought-after and best-selling commodities.

　　Reeds, also known as broadleaf cattail, are perennial marsh-growing monocotyledonous herbaceous plants. The reeds in Zhoucheng grew tall and robust, typically reaching about 2 meters in height. The reeds in Xiaonanzhuang were the best, where the water was deep and the silt layer was over 0.5 meters thick, making it very fertile. Individual stalks could reach up to 10 cm in diameter. Each plant had 6–13 leaves, growing on a shortened stem, with flat, linear leaves arranged in two rows. A flower spike emerged from the center, standing about 180 cm tall, topped with a cylindrical spadix inflorescence. The upper part was a male spike, narrow and yellow in color, while the lower part was a female spike, cylindrical and thick, yellowish-brown in color, resembling a candle shape (commonly known as the “reed spike”).

　　Reeds in Zhoucheng were a treasure trove of uses, with a wide range of functions. When young, their roots were white and crisp. When cooked with plump shrimp, they made a fresh and delicious dish. Zhoucheng’s famous dish “Stir-fried Shrimp with Reed Shoots” used tender reed roots as the main ingredient. The pollen of the reed, known as “reed pollen” or “puhuang,” was neutral in nature and sweet in taste. Used raw, it promoted blood circulation and removed blood stasis, treating conditions such as blood stasis-induced amenorrhea and chest or abdominal pain. When stir-fried, it could stop bleeding, treating conditions such as metrorrhagia, metrostaxis, and hematemesis.

　　Reed spikes were excellent material for papermaking. They also made premium pillow fillings and quilt waddings—soft, fluffy, and warm. The reed mats from Zhoucheng’s South Gate Street, reed bags from the Great West Gate, reed fans from Wenchang Street, reed shoes from Paifang Village, and reed stools from Dasi Street were all once-renowned reed-woven products. They were elegantly shaped, affordable, and highly popular. “Little fan born of reed, hails from Dongping Prefecture, can fan the wind and swat mosquitoes, and can even be used as a cushion.” This was how people praised the reed fans of Zhoucheng.

　　However, after 1977, the area covered by reeds in Zhoucheng shrank significantly. After the implementation of the rural household responsibility system, farmers contracted the ponds. Since fish farming was more profitable than growing reeds, most of the former reed ponds were converted into fish farms.