Xinwei Willow Weaving

Xinwei Willow Weaving

　　I. Introduction

　　Xinwei willow weaving is a traditional handcraft technique practiced in Xinwei Town and surrounding villages in Siyang County, Jiangsu Province. The craft uses white willow as its primary material and involves five main techniques: flat weaving, patterned weaving, bound weaving, stacked weaving, and edge binding. Willow-woven products are known for their beautiful shapes, diverse patterns, simplicity, and practicality, making them widely used by locals for both production and daily life as well as home decoration. Over time, with the refinement of weaving techniques, Xinwei willow weaving has evolved from simple, rough processing to fine craftsmanship. It has also transitioned from being homemade gifts among neighbors to marketable products. These non-toxic, hygienic, refined, and aesthetically pleasing items have gained popularity among consumers in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

　　II. Historical Background

　　As early as the 12th year of the Daoguang reign in the Qing Dynasty (1832), the area around Xinwei in Siyang County, Jiangsu Province, experienced a sudden rise in the water level of the old course of the Yellow River. The river burst its banks, merging with Hongze Lake into an expansive body of water stretching tens of miles, leaving almost no dry land. This area was then called Xintan Lake. Over time, as floodwaters spread and the silt carried by the yellow waters deposited and accumulated, the original Xintan gradually turned into marshland. Due to the low-lying terrain, grain crops struggled to grow, so locals planted large amounts of water-resistant and alkali-resistant white willow to stabilize the sand and preserve the soil. Each winter, people harvested the dried white willow to use as firewood. As a deciduous shrub, willow propagates naturally and quickly. Year after year, this created a natural landscape of endless rows of lush green willows.

　　III. Development and Evolution

　　In the era of self-sufficient farming, willow weaving was an essential tool for daily production and life in every household, as well as a widely practiced traditional handicraft. With a long history and broad transmission, Xinwei willow weaving emerged and developed due to its unique geographical location and distinctive local resources. Locals made use of readily available materials (white willow), and the weaving skills were passed down through generations.

　　By the Daoguang period (1821–1851), in the Xinwei area, there was a man named Yuan Jing from the Yuan family, whose family had been carpenters for generations, making furniture for local residents. Naturally intelligent, he noticed that the vast expanses of dense white willow growing around Xintan Lake were too valuable to be used merely as firewood. He began using the willow to weave mattresses and various containers. Over time, neighbors followed suit, crafting everyday household items. What started with simple items like mattresses and straw baskets gradually advanced to more complex ones such as winnowing baskets, bamboo crates, and hand baskets—all passed down through generations.

　　After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, locals continued to practice these traditional weaving techniques. Skilled artisans were often regarded as local experts and highly respected by the community. Neighbors helped one another and frequently wove baskets, crates, and winnowing fans as gifts to express goodwill. After the reform and opening-up policy, as the commodity economy took root, many Xinwei residents proficient in willow weaving transformed these once purely domestic items into market goods. Many families relied on willow weaving for their livelihoods, greatly promoting the development of the craft and further enhancing people’s appreciation of its aesthetic and economic value.

　　In the 1980s, Xinwei willow weaving began shifting from traditional household production to scaled manufacturing. A vine and willow factory was established in Xinwei. Initially small, with just seven or eight rooms and a few dozen workers, it processed local white willow branches into everyday farming tools. Later, as the scale of willow weaving expanded and techniques improved, the county’s foreign trade department arranged for the production of items such as packaging boxes and cleaning cloths baskets for foreign clients. The product range gradually diversified to include hand baskets, children’s baskets, hanging baskets, wall-mounted baskets, animal-shaped baskets, crates, and furniture, which were exported to over 20 countries and regions across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. At the time, many upper-class households in Europe and America featured willow-woven items, especially fruit containers and various baskets for everyday use.

　　By the end of the 20th century, Mr. Zhuang Dexin, a member of the China Folk Literature and Art Association, published a detailed introduction to Xinwei willow weaving in the Taiwanese magazine "Taoyuan Tourism" in his article “Notes from Xinwei Town,” bringing widespread recognition to the craft both domestically and internationally.

　　IV. Tools and Products

　　The tools used in Xinwei willow weaving include knives (traditionally sickles), wrench hooks, and axes. The rest of the process relies mainly on manual twisting and weaving. The variety of willow-woven products is extensive. Early products included winnowing fans, bamboo crates, drying trays, and straw baskets. Later, to meet market demand, a wide range of modern-life-related willow products were developed: hand baskets, children’s baskets, hanging baskets, wall-mounted baskets, fruit baskets, animal-shaped baskets, crates, and furniture.

　　V. Main Techniques

　　The production techniques of Xinwei willow weaving are relatively simple and can be divided into eight stages: material selection, soaking, peeling, drying, sorting, weaving, coloring, and varnishing.

　　1. Material Selection: Willow branches grown along ditches and riverbanks are cut and bundled for soaking.

　　2. Soaking: The willow branches are soaked in water for about 1–2 hours or longer to soften the outer skin for easier peeling.

　　3. Peeling: The softened outer skin of the willow branches is scraped off.

　　4. Drying: The peeled willow branches are dried in the shade for later use.

　　5. Sorting: The peeled willow branches are sorted by thickness and length to suit different uses.

　　6. Weaving: Products are woven according to design needs and sample blueprints.

　　7. Coloring: Color is applied to the willow products as needed.

　　8. Varnishing: A clear varnish is applied to the finished products to enhance smoothness, aesthetics, and durability.

　　VI. Inheritance Status

　　Traditionally, Xinwei willow weaving has been passed down within families or learned informally among neighbors. There is no detailed lineage of inheritance. Across different historical periods, several folk artisans skilled in willow weaving emerged, such as Yuan Jing and his brother Yuan Lin (1832–1856); members of the Yuan family including Yuan Huaiyu, Yuan Huaicheng, Yuan Yubao, Yuan Huai’gao, and Yuan Huai’zhong (1969–1978); as well as master-apprentice lineages from the 1980s and 1990s like Cui Jianhua, Xu Qishi, Han Guangquan, Zhang Xiufa, Xiao Qigui, Yang Hengping, Zhang Jiajun, Chen Mingliang, and Zhu Changan. Today, artisans such as Yang Tongzhi, Li Jixian, He Xinzhi, Zhou Yiping, Zhou Haiyan, Yang Lanying, Cui Changzhi, Ge Guangxian, and Tian Bing continue the tradition through apprenticeships.

　　However, as the once picturesque scene of “myriad peach blossoms and endless green willow rows” fades, Xinwei willow weaving has gradually lost its raw material market. The function of willow weaving has shifted from practical use to more decorative purposes, distancing it from the everyday lives of ordinary people.

　　VII. Inheritors

　　Tian Bing: Male, born in 1946, from Hexiaozu School Group, Hexi Village, Xinwei Town. He is highly skilled in willow weaving with versatile techniques, specializing in medium to large-sized willow products. His innovative and unique creations are highly favored by consumers.

　　Cui Jianhua: Male, born in 1948, from Xin Yuan Street, Xin Yuan Town. Specializes in the production of small decorative wickerwork items. His works are distinctive, delicate, and showcase exquisite craftsmanship.