Chen Chunmiao displays products made by the skilled women's grass-weaving cooperative at its showroom in Weinan, Shaanxi province. [Photo provided to CHINA DAILY]
In December, a dozen skilled women at a cooperative in Weinan, Shaanxi province, were busy handcrafting a batch of baskets.
Each woman worked with dried corn husks and straw, sitting together in a supportive environment.
"They come from surrounding communities, including left-behind women, people with disabilities and those living in poverty, and find local employment opportunities here," said Chen Chunmiao, director of the skilled women's grass-weaving cooperative.
At 56, Chen is an inheritor of Shaanxi province's intangible cultural heritage of grass weaving and one of the first master craftswomen in the local rural area.
Grass weaving is an ancient folk craft that can be traced back to early Chinese history. The ancestors learned to use natural plant fibers such as bulrush, reeds and corn husks to weave practical containers and tools for their daily needs through their close interaction with nature.
"The main materials for our grass weaving are wheat straw and corn husks. It began with weaving straw hats and later evolved to combine practicality with decoration, expanding to nearly a hundred varieties. In 2017, it was recognized as a provincial intangible cultural heritage project," Chen said.
In her early years, Chen was inspired by the abundance of bulrush and corn husks in her hometown. However, she also noticed that traditional grass-weaving skills were fading and at risk of disappearing.
Driven by her love for local culture, she immersed herself in the effort to preserve grass-weaving skills and promote the development of a local industry.
Since 2003, Chen has led initiatives in the grass-weaving industry from the grassroots craft group in Miaodi village, continuously conducting research, innovation and product diversification based on inherited techniques.
"Initially, my family did not support me in pursuing grass weaving. They believed it was not a proper job and would not generate income," Chen said.
Even people in the village doubted her, unconvinced that grass weaving could be profitable. To combat this skepticism, she went door to door to persuade them.
In 2017, Chen established the skilled women's grass-weaving cooperative, a private enterprise that integrates the inheritance, design, training, processing and sales of grass-weaving products.
Products are displayed at the cooperative's showroom. [Photo provided to CHINA DAILY]
Soon after, Chen proposed a model of "using intangible heritage to drive skills-based poverty alleviation", which encouraged local left-behind women to join the grass-weaving industry.
Through long-term, public welfare-oriented skills training that focused on poverty alleviation, these women acquired skills that increased their earning potential.
"Grass weaving is simple to learn and suitable for people of all ages and genders, effectively utilizing the idle labor force of rural left-behind women and the elderly," Chen said.
"Seeing everyone become more financially stable and happier through grass-weaving skills brings me genuine joy."
Since its establishment, the cooperative has held over 150 training sessions, benefiting more than 500 households in surrounding areas.
In 2023, over 400 people were lifted out of poverty through related industry development, as annual sales exceeded 3 million yuan ($410,000).
One beneficiary, Sun Ehua, supports her family of six while her son and daughter-in-law work elsewhere in the country. Sun and her husband care for their two grandchildren at home. To alleviate financial pressure, she chose to work at the cooperative.
"Working here is very convenient as it allows me to take care of my grandchildren," Sun said.
With a monthly income of over 1,000 yuan, although modest, she can learn the skill of grass weaving and earn enough to cover her grandchildren's monthly expenses, which is a significant relief.
Looking ahead, Chen said she will increase her efforts to spread grass-weaving culture and share women's stories through grass weaving.
Contact the writers at zhaoruinan@chinadaily.com.cn
Grass-weaved trays are some of the cooperative's popular products. [Photo provided to CHINA DAILY]
