Guanzhuang Sieves

Guanzhuang Sieves

　　Guanzhuang Sieves

　　During the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, Yu Yuncai’s family from Liujia Guanzhuang Village (now part of Longshan Subdistrict) began weaving sieves using bamboo materials. Soon after, five or six other households also learned the bamboo weaving craft. By 1949, out of over 200 households in the village, 180 households with more than 700 people were engaged in this handicraft industry. In 1952, the Jimo County Handicraft Administration established the Jimo County Bamboo Ware Factory in the village. After the establishment of the People’s Commune, the production brigade and production teams set up bamboo product cooperatives and factories as collective side businesses. In 1981, following the implementation of the household responsibility system, the village quickly became a well-known transport-specialized village in the county, and the number of people involved in the bamboo weaving industry greatly decreased. Nevertheless, artisans expanded their offerings based on social demand, gradually increasing the range of bamboo sieve products to include over 20 varieties such as bamboo baskets and bamboo crates. Due to the unique designs and exquisite craftsmanship of Guanzhuang sieves and other bamboo products, the items not only sold well in 39 counties and cities across Shandong Province—including Zhoucheng, Weifang, Qingzhou, Yantai, Qingdao, Laiyang, and Haiyang—but were also exported to China’s three northeastern provinces. As a result, the village is still referred to today as “Sieve Village.”