Chuan Shan Cooling Mat

Chuan Shan Cooling Mat

　　The “Chuan Shan Cooling Mat” from Chuanshan Town, Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, has been designated as one of the ethnic handicrafts by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and has enjoyed fame both within and outside the region for over a decade. The surface of the cooling mat is smooth and flat, tightly woven, elegant and generous, lightweight yet durable, typically usable for more than 10 years. The mat can be folded or rolled for storage, and when unfolded, it lies flat without wrinkles, making it convenient to carry and use.

　　Product Care

　　Huanjiang cooling mats should not be exposed to direct sunlight to avoid becoming brittle; when using bamboo mats, ensure the bed board is flat to prevent tearing. It is best to wipe the mat with warm water before and after sleeping each day, which helps the mat turn red earlier, thus increasing its coolness. Important tip: When using air conditioning overnight, set the temperature to 26°C. When sleeping on a cooling mat, always cover your abdomen, shoulders, and other areas with a thin blanket to avoid getting cold, preventing issues such as diarrhea, colds, or even spinal and periarthritis conditions.

　　Historical Legend

　　Legend has it that long ago, there was a local man named Yao Huankui who went up the mountain to chop firewood but forgot to bring rope. While worrying about how to tie the wood, he noticed a grove of moso bamboo on the opposite hill. He went and cut a piece of moso bamboo, split it into several fine bamboo strips, twisted them into a rope to tie the firewood, and found the bamboo strips were as soft as hemp yet tough and unbreakable. From then on, Yao Huankui often used moso bamboo to tie firewood or other items. Later, many locals learned of this use for moso bamboo and also began cutting and splitting it for ropes. Over time, people started using it to weave straw shoes, bamboo baskets, and more.

　　The Liu family in the area has been a renowned bamboo craftsman family for generations, with craftsmanship famous far and wide, and Liu family bamboo mats could be found all over the Peach Blossom River Bamboo Sea. The superior quality of the Liu family’s bamboo mats originated from an accidental experience. Originally, most mat-making artisans used two- to three-year-old bamboo for its tenderness, low cost, and ease of shaping. Once, a merchant from the capital came to Taojiang to purchase mats, saw the high quality of the local cooling mats, and bought nearly all of them in one go. With such strong sales, the artisans produced unusually large quantities that year, depleting even the two-year-old tender bamboo in the groves. Liu family ancestors then turned to older, previously underused bamboo that was harder to process and more costly to work with. The result was unexpectedly excellent—the mats made from this older bamboo were cooler, more durable, and had a better gloss, truly “incredible.” Thus, the Liu family’s tradition of using only mature old bamboo from the groves for mat-making was passed down. To this day, Liu Chunsiu has further improved the family’s secret method of treating bamboo strips, controlling their moisture content, and introducing top-tier cooling mat production equipment and technology, resulting in mats that are mold-resistant, insect-proof, and even more durable.