Vine weaving

Made of wild grape vines, Yongtai county’s weaving products exhibit an interesting and valuable aging effect. The items become more attractive as their colors deepen over time, explained Zhang Qingming, curator of Yongtai’s exhibition area at the festival.

Zhang has been promoting the craft as a brand, applying for trademarks and registering two patents. And the products have won favor in the Japanese market with choice pieces sold at up to 46,000 yuan ($6,700). Zhang also brought quality products to show at the fair, where one handmade bag was tagged at nearly 9,000 yuan.

The prices are reasonable given that grape vines growing in the wild are not easy to gather, and that now, as with many other traditional crafts, the weaving art faces a problem of a lack of talented practitioners, according to Zhang.

Zhang’s effort did not come to nothing. The enduring charm of the artifacts caught the discerning eyes of international luxury brands, some of which have expressed interest in cooperating with him.

A handmade vine-weaved bag for sale at the 10th Cross-Straits Folk Culture Festival in Fuzhou, Fujian province on Feb 9. [Photo/fjsen.com]

An artisan crafts a vine-weaved bag at the 10th Cross-Straits Folk Culture Festival in Fuzhou, Fujian province on Feb 9. [File photo/fznews.com]