Inheritor carries forward craft for making hand-woven bamboo hats in S China's Guangxi

Tan Sujuan, a bamboo hat artist of the Maonan ethnic group in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has been dedicated to inheriting the handicraft for making bamboo hats for years.

Tan Sujuan weaves a bamboo hat. (Photo/Wang Yizhao)

The hand-woven bamboo hat, a symbol of happiness and auspiciousness of the Maonan ethnic group, and the treasure of Maonan people, is on the list of national intangible cultural heritages. "In the past, when a Maonan boy fell in love with a girl, he would weave a bamboo hat for her to express his affection. A Maonan family would also prepare a bamboo hat for their daughter when she was about to get married," explained Tan, who is from Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County of Guangxi, adding that the hat was made of local bamboo.

As the weaving technique involves dozens of steps, and was passed down from generation to generation orally and not in text or images, the handicraft found itself on the verge of extinction at one point. To inherit the craft, Tan quit her job and started to learn the techniques from a senior bamboo-hat artist in the 1990s.

Tan's daughter Qin Min (L) weaves bamboo hats. (Photo/Wang Yizhao)

Tan also promoted the craft in schools and established workshops, cultivating a large number of inheritors. "It is the cultural icon of Maonan. I hope more people will learn the techniques from me," she said.

Thanks to Tan's influence, her daughter Qin Min has also joined in her efforts to pass on the craft. The two introduced new patterns to make their bamboo hats more fashionable, and also applied the bamboo weaving techniques to other products such as handbags and pillows, which proved a hit with consumers.

The two also traveled to many parts of the country to promote the hat and the unique culture behind it to consumers. "Only by introducing the hat to people, and making young people fall in love with it, can we inject new vitality into the traditional handicraft and pass it down," said Qin. 

Photo shows a half-finished bamboo hat. (Photo/Wang Yizhao)

A craftsman weaves a bamboo hat. (Photo/Wang Yizhao)

Photo shows Tan and her bamboo artworks. (Photo/Wang Yizhao)