An'yu Bamboo Weaving

An'yu Bamboo Weaving

　　An'yu bamboo weaving is renowned for its distinctive craftsmanship. The exquisite craft mats come in a variety of types, including sleeping mats, table mats, patterned curtains, canopy curtains, hanging screens, floor screens, scrolls, and pillows. The woven surfaces feature designs such as landscapes, flowers and birds, figures, and calligraphy. The craftsmanship is exquisite, with innovative shapes, clear images, and richly diverse patterns. These mats can be easily folded, making them convenient to carry and transport.

　　　　Bamboo weaving has a long history in An'yu, dating back over 340 years. According to the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong-era Annals of An'yu County, bamboo mats produced in An'yu were already being exported to Baoning (present-day Langzhong) and Renshou. In 1932, at the 11th Sichuan Provincial Industrial and Commercial Exhibition, An'yu bamboo mats, bamboo baskets, and leather backpacks were awarded first-class prizes.

　　　　After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, An'yu bamboo weaving products became popular both domestically and internationally, reaching Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Japan, and Hong Kong. The annual export included over 20 varieties, totaling more than 3 million pieces. In 1953 and 1957, craft mats presented to Chairman Mao included one woven with the four large characters “Resist America, Aid Korea,” and another featuring peonies, pine trees, and white cranes. In 1956, a finely crafted mat depicting “Zhao Zilong’s Battle at Changban Slope” was presented to Marshal He Long. Works woven after 1957, such as a seven-foot scroll showing “Chairman Mao Waving at Tiananmen,” are preserved in the Capital Exhibition Hall to this day.