Henan straw plaits

Henan straw plaits

　　Produced in Qingfeng, Neihuang, Nanle, Fanxian, Luyi, and Rongyang in Henan. Legend has it that during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, merchants from Laizhou Prefecture in Shandong came to Xianzhuang in Qingfeng County and discovered that the wheat straw grown in the area had thin, long, soft, and brightly colored stalks—excellent raw material for braiding. They then used Xianzhuang as their base to spread the braiding craft to surrounding rural areas, developing the production of straw plait hats using wheat straw as the material. At the same time, taking advantage of the Chinese folklore that the dragon raises its head on the second day of the second lunar month (“Dragon Heads-raising Day”), they officially established the “Plait Guild” in Xianzhuang on that day according to the lunar calendar. Henan straw plaits can be roughly divided into three main types: Rongyang Bridge Plaits, Luyi White Plaits, and Laizhou Garden Straw. Among them, “Laizhou Garden Straw” is the most famous. The straw plaits are characterized by their light and soft texture, resistance to deformation when heated, non-brittleness when cold, and absence of any off-putting odor.