Xu Xing Straw Weaving

Xu Xing Straw Weaving

　　Xu Xing straw weaving, produced in Xu Xing, Jiading, boasts a long history. As early as over 1,000 years ago during the Tang Dynasty, woven products made from yellow straw had already become one of the tributes to the imperial court. In the early 20th century, cultural exchanges and development began between Eastern and Western straw weaving traditions. In 1914, the Italian trading firm Scorzelli & Co. hired local Xu Xing residents Wang Jihé and Zhu Shilin as agents to purchase yellow straw woven goods from local farmers, which were then resold to markets in Southeast Asia, Europe, and America. From then on, Xu Xing yellow straw products began to go abroad and enter the international market.

In 1953, a pair of slippers featuring a peace dove design, woven by Li Yueqin, won an art medal at the Leipzig International Fair held in East Germany. In 1956, artisans of Xu Xing straw weaving attended the China Arts and Crafts Congress and were received by the Party and state leaders. As the influence of Xu Xing straw weaving gradually expanded and its artistic depth continued to improve, in 1994, Xu Xing Town was named a “Hometown of Chinese Folk Art” by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China. In 2008, Xu Xing straw weaving was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.