The skill and knowhow behind weaving superb rattan, an item of intangible cultural heritage, has a history spanning 40 years and has spawned a thriving industrial base in Tengxing village, Fenjie town – located in Taixing city in East China's Jiangsu province.
It is said that Tengxing rattan weaving was once in decline due to low profits and the painstaking production processes.
"Many people of my age are unwilling to learn and many rattan weaving craftsmen have changed careers or left our hometown to find jobs," said Zhang Liudong, a rattan weaving inheritor in Fenjien.
Zhang continues to test the market demand for rattan weaving through continuous learning and innovations in weaving techniques, expressions and content.
In recent years, by exploring the integrated development of culture, tourism and sports, Fenjie town has galvanized its intangible cultural heritage like rattan weaving to create a development energy that has achieved more prosperity for its people.
Nowadays, more and more people there have joined the rattan weaving group and the artistry and cultural sense of rattan weaving continues to be enhanced.