Traditional Chenghe wickerwork weaves exquisite skills

A man shows a wicker basket in Chenghe town, Xiangyang city, Hubei province, Sept 25, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Chenghe wickerwork, also called Xiangyang wickerwork, is a traditional local handicraft of Chenghe town in Xiangyang city of Hubei province. The making technique of Chenghe wickerwork has become a city-level intangible cultural heritage item.

Reporters participating in a large-scale cultural event on intangible cultural heritage paid a visit to the Chenghe town on Monday to explore the traditional handicraft.

The wickerwork in Chenghe enjoys much fame home abroad for the white, soft, smooth wickers grown here and the local people's exquisite weaving skills.

The wickerwork making in Chenghe has a history of more than 300 years. Among the 29 administrative villages in Chenghe town, 11 are specialized in wickerwork making with 12,000 workers.

The wickers are not grown on the trees, but on the ground, which is easy to pick and use. The moist and warm environment also provides good conditions for the growth of wickers.

The artistic and functional Chenghe wickerwork is well received overseas, and has been exported to more than 30 countries and regions, including Japan, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Australia and US.