Jiangkou Bamboo Ware

Jiangkou Bamboo Ware

　　Jiangkou Town is a well-known bamboo-producing area in the county and an important production base for exported bamboo products. Dense bamboo forests stretch across villages and along both riverbanks, covering tens of miles.

　　The bamboo ware industry in Jiangkou has a long history. Before liberation, besides being used for farming, bamboo weaving mainly produced household utensils, with relatively crude craftsmanship. After liberation, the variety of products gradually increased. In addition to traditional handmade methods, mechanized production was also adopted. During market days, a bamboo ware section naturally formed at the Jiangkou market, featuring household utensils such as bamboo baskets, bamboo sieves, bamboo buckets, bamboo hats, bamboo chopsticks, bamboo chairs, bamboo beds, bamboo curtains, bamboo lids, bamboo steamers, bamboo mats, bamboo brooms, and bamboo cages; agricultural tools such as bamboo [bamboo参], bamboo baskets, bamboo rakes, bamboo mats, bamboo fences, and bamboo carrying poles; boat-related items such as bamboo poles, bamboo ropes, and bamboo resin putty; as well as items for export such as bamboo needles, bamboo trays, 2521-type two-ear base trays, 2510-type two-head base bowls, 258% type round-head lunchboxes, 258% type three-head base leather boxes, 106-type two-ear plain basins, and more—an overwhelming array of products.

　　Bamboo ware processing is widespread among thousands of households. The town once had five bamboo product factories. The Town Bamboo Needle Factory used mechanized production and introduced a set of bamboo needle processing equipment from Japan, manufacturing over 150 types of bamboo products, more than 110 of which were for export. These bamboo products feature fine craftsmanship and elegant designs, making them highly popular with foreign buyers.

　　Jiangkou produces about one million bamboo mats annually, with an annual output value of 1.5 million yuan in 1986, mainly sold to Guangdong Province and Liuzhou City, among other places. Exported bamboo products generate an annual output value of about 800,000 yuan, accounting for over 80% of the county’s total bamboo ware exports, primarily shipped to Western Europe, Japan, the United States, and Southeast Asia. The annual output value of bamboo products sold in the local county market is around 500,000 yuan.