Dongyang Bamboo Weaving

Dongyang Bamboo Weaving

Dongyang bamboo weaving is an intangible cultural heritage of Zhejiang Province.

　　Dongyang bamboo weaving, along with Dongyang wood carving, is one of the three renowned carving arts in Zhejiang and ranks first among China’s four major wood carving styles. It is among the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage protection projects. Together, they are hailed as the two gems of Dongyang’s arts and crafts.

　　Dongyang bamboo weaving and Dongyang wood carving (as one of the three renowned carving arts in Zhejiang, ranking first among China’s four major wood carving styles, and as one of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage protection projects.) are jointly known as the two gems of Dongyang’s arts and crafts. It first appeared during the Shang Dynasty, boasting a history of over 1,200 years. It gained fame during the Song Dynasty for crafting lanterns for the Lantern Festival, including dragon lanterns, flower lanterns, and rotating lanterns. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, Dongyang bamboo weaving had developed sophisticated techniques and a distinctive style. According to the Qing Dynasty Kangxi-era “Dongyang County Annals,” it states: “Shengzhu (a type of bamboo) is soft and suitable for fine bamboo wares, which were once offered as tribute.” This shows that Dongyang bamboo weaving was selected as a tribute and renowned across the country before the Qing Dynasty. By the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, Dongyang bamboo weaving entered its golden age.

　　After more than a thousand years of refinement, Dongyang bamboo weaving craftsmanship has achieved exquisite levels of artistry. As early as 1915, Dongyang bamboo weaving crafts won awards at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, USA. In 1984, the large-scale bamboo screen “Nine Dragons Wall” was created, and with its superb weaving skills, it won the “Golden Cup Award” at the 4th China Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Awards, and was listed as a national arts and crafts treasure for permanent preservation. In 1994, the figure bamboo weaving piece “The Fisherman” received the “Golden Cup Award” at the China Folk Art Extraordinary Exhibition.

　　Through the efforts of generations of Dongyang bamboo weaving artisans, the craft has broken free from traditional concepts and has been ingeniously integrated with garden architecture and interior decoration. Many timeless masterpieces have been left at sites such as Ruangongdun on West Lake, Hangzhou Huagang Park, and the “New Beijing Restaurant” in Hamburg, Germany. With its unique style that exhibits elegance within richness and luxury within serenity, it has been widely praised. According to the “Dongyang County Annals” from the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty: “Shengzhu is soft and suitable for fine bamboo wares, which were once offered as tribute.” At that time, bamboo weaving mainly produced products such as door curtains, fruit boxes, and trays, among which book boxes and incense baskets were widely popular in Shaoxing, Zhuji, Shengzhou, and Xinchang. Selected as tribute before the Qing Dynasty, it flourished in the late Qing and early Republican periods, winning awards at the Panama International Exposition as early as 1915. After the liberation, especially since the reform and opening-up, Dongyang bamboo weaving has experienced a renaissance and vigorous development, successively winning awards such as the Ministry of Light Industry’s Quality Product Award, Zhejiang Premium Award, Silver and Golden Cup Awards at the China Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Awards, and the China Folk Art Extraordinary Gold Award.