Wickerwork competition kicks off in Anhui

About 100 craftsmen gathered in an indoor stadium in Funan county, east China’s Anhui province, on Monday, for a wickerwork designing competition.

The 8th Anhui Industrial Design Competition was held in the county on the day. Some 100 craftsmen from around the county designed and weaved wickerwork products in various shapes and full of creativity.

Funan wickerwork technique has been inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list, and wickerwork products in the county have been included in the list of national geographical indication products.

Willows, the raw material of wickerwork products, are widely planted in Mengwa flood storage area in the county. Willow-planting dated back to 1,000 years ago, and wicker-weaving to more than 500 years ago.

Funan has been given many titles related to wickerwork, including "Capital of Wickerwork in China" and "National Foreign Trade Transformation and Upgrading Base" .