A livestreaming host introduces the craftsmanship of rattan-woven fans during a livestreaming promotion of Shaanxi Liangshun Jiangxin Industry Co., Ltd., a company based in Huangguan town, Nanzheng district of Hanzhong, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

Rattan weaving, once a humble side business in rural courtyards in Hanzhong city, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has woven its way into the fabric of modern industry and effectively improved the livelihoods of local residents.

Due to its complex production process, long learning curve, and low financial returns, rattan weaving—a representative item of China's national intangible cultural heritage—had long deterred those in search of income-generating skills.

Thanks to the country's burgeoning livestreaming e-commerce industry, its continued efforts to protect intangible cultural heritage, as well as modern consumers' growing appetite for Guochao products, or products featuring a combination of traditional cultural elements and modern designs, the traditional craft gradually drew more and more craftspeople, empowering rural residents of Hanzhong to increase their incomes using nimble fingers.

Huangguan town in Nanzheng district of Hanzhong is at the heart of this revival.

Chen Liangshun (right), a representative inheritor of the rattan weaving craft of Hanzhong, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, instructs a worker in traditional rattan weaving techniques. (People's Daily Online/Zou Xing)

Situated in an area bordering the Qinling Mountains, Huangguan town is rich in wild rattan resources and has a long history of rattan weaving, hence the reputation as the "hometown of rattan weaving" in Shaanxi.

Many locals are well-versed in rattan weaving. In the past, they crafted simple rattan furniture with the skills passed down from generation to generation and sold them at the market.

Riding the wave of the rapid economic development of the country, rattan weaving gradually evolved into a full-fledged industry in Huangguan town, enabling local craftspeople to weave bigger dreams of rural revitalization.

By integrating farming culture and eco-tourism, Nanzhen district has developed a complete industrial chain with rattan weaving at the core.

With seven community factories, five assistance bases, and six intangible cultural heritage centers, the district has managed to involve over 6,500 local residents in the rattan weaving industrial chain, achieving an average annual income increase of more than 20,000 yuan ($2,786.78) per person.

Three leading enterprises in the industry enjoy a combined annual output value of over 168 million yuan, with their products exported across the world.

Shou Zhaofu (left), a 63-year-old villager of Huangguan town, Nanzheng district of Hanzhong, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, weaves rattan chairs with his wife Liu Guifen (right). (People's Daily Online/Zou Xing)

Shaanxi Liangshun Jiangxin Industry Co., Ltd., a company based in Huangguan town, is one of the three leading local enterprises engaged in rattan weaving.

Established in 2020 by Chen Liangshun, a representative inheritor of Hanzhong's rattan weaving techniques, the company operates under a "company + cooperative + base + households + e-commerce" model, engaging over 1,200 rural households across towns like Huangguan and Qingshu.

The company offers over 300 product types and holds more than 20 patents, according to Chen.

He noted that the company has partnered with institutions such as the Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, to establish expert workstations and research bases for intangible cultural heritage education and innovation, extending the creative expressions of rattan weaving into decoration engineering, clothing design, creative products, and jewelry, among other fields.

In the showroom of the company, everything—from large landscape installations and various types of furniture to delicate hairpins and pendants—exudes a unique charm.

During the recent-concluded "618" mid-year online shopping festival, the company saw record-breaking sales.

"Almost every household here knows how to weave. Entire families join in—from grandparents to grandchildren," Chen said. "The work is ideal for the courtyard economy, especially for women, elderly residents, and people with disabilities. Villagers take raw materials home, finish products there, and we purchase everything back."

Photo shows handcrafted rattan products including vases and baskets on display in Huangguan town, Nanzheng district of Hanzhong, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Zou Xing)

Shou Zhaofu, a 63-year-old local villager, and his wife Liu Guifen are among the local residents who benefit from the company's operation model.

"We work in the fields in the morning and come to the factory or weave at home in the afternoon," he said. "Each finished piece is paid by item—we can make 4,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan a month."

In April 2025, the "Technical Specifications for Hanzhong Rattan Weaving" officially came into effect. The official document outlines production requirements, processes, and specific technical details for rattan weaving, laying the groundwork for standardized growth of the industry.

"To keep this tradition alive, we must preserve its roots while embracing innovation," Chen said. Only by pursuing a path of industrialization and integrating rattan weaving techniques into industrial development that improves people's incomes can the craft be protected well and passed down from generation to generation, he explained.

Children play outside the rattan weaving research and innovation center in Huangguan town, Nanzheng district of Hanzhong, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on a summer evening. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)