Basic Introduction to Huoqiu Willow Weaving
Huoqiu County is located on the south bank of the Huai River and has a long history of planting willow trees. The willow tree is an aquatic plant and a native species on the Huai River floodplains. Local residents, in their struggle against occasional Huai River floods, learned how to use the willow branches for basket weaving to meet their daily needs. Initially, they used them as raw materials for simple tools like manure baskets and carrying baskets. It wasn't until around the turn of the 21st century that the industry began to take shape. The county government designated willow cultivation as one of the four major pillar industries and focused on developing it by optimizing its structure and expanding its scale, resulting in an annual increase of 3,000 mu in the area under cultivation. By 2010, the total area of willow plantations had reached 100,000 mu, providing a solid material foundation for the development of the willow-weaving industry.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Huoqiu County adopted a model involving companies, bases, and households, promoting the growth of two enterprises with over 100 million yuan in revenue each. The “Anhui Willow Weaving Industry Association” was established, and 20 million yuan was invested to build the largest willow-weaving market in East China, covering 120 acres. In 2005, the county helped the leading enterprise, Anhui Qingfa Group, secure more than 10 million yuan in funding from the Ministry of Finance and other agencies for the construction of production bases and deep processing projects. The Qingfa and Hua'anda groups own nearly 50 direct subsidiaries, covering more than 20 towns along the Huai River and Lake, and have a reach extending into seven provinces including Shandong, Henan, and Zhejiang. Products under the brands “Qingfa Lake” and “Hua'anda” have been recognized as provincial famous products. The cultivation and production structure of willows has been optimized, and the range of willow-weaving handicrafts has expanded from just over 100 varieties to eight categories with more than 20,000 items. Deep processing enterprises have expanded to cities like Shenzhen and Dongguan, with products being exported to over 30 countries and regions worldwide.
Willow weaving has a long history and rich cultural heritage. According to legend, during the Northern Song Dynasty, Liu Qi, the deputy general under Yue Fei, ordered the local people to weave baskets, and his soldiers carried soil to build a platform west of Huanggang to celebrate their victory over Jin Wuzhu. This platform became known historically as the “Victory Platform.” During significant traditional festivals, locals would weave dragons and phoenixes out of willow branches to symbolize good fortune.
The process of willow weaving is complex and requires meticulous craftsmanship. It uses traditional techniques, and the finished products are woven entirely by hand. For example, when making traditional vases, almost no tools are used from the bottom to the top, even if a beam or mold is needed, these are also handmade. However, the products produced this way are tightly structured, round, and finely crafted, which is amazing, making them a masterpiece of traditional willow-weaving art. “Circular Weaving” and “Vertical Weaving” are unique techniques invented by willow weavers in the Huai River and Mengwa areas, and they hold great historical and cultural value.
Willow-weaving crafts are exquisite and have been passed down through generations of artisans. They are a precious resource of folk handicraft skills. After coloring and dyeing, the products appear rustic and elegant, possessing high artistic value. Willow products are durable, simple, and elegant, free of pollution, and harmless, natural products that are increasingly favored by people both at home and abroad.
Due to the high technical difficulty of willow-weaving, the long learning period, and the complexity of the processes (such as scraping and drying), which can be particularly laborious, some older artisans have passed away, and younger people are unwilling to learn the craft, causing some techniques to be lost and putting the industry in a precarious situation.
Quality and Technical Requirements
(1) Cultivation Variety.
The original willow variety found in the lowlands along the Huai River and lakes in Huoqiu County, specifically the large white-skinned willow branch of Huoqiu.
(2) Site Conditions.
Select wetlands with a pH value between 5.2 and 5.66, with deep and fertile soil, such as river and lake floodplains, low-lying wet areas, and muddy sandy soils.
(3) Cultivation Management.
1. Cuttings: Between late December and early February, choose one-year-old, robust branches about 1 cm thick, cut them into small sections of 15 to 20 cm, and insert them into the soil so that they are flush with or slightly protrude above the ground by 1 to 2 cm. The amount of planting material per hectare is 2,300 kg.
2. Planting Density: Row spacing of 6 to 8 cm, inter-row spacing of 25 cm, planting 50 to 70 cuttings per square meter.
3. Management: Apply sufficient base fertilizer (mixed organic fertilizer). Before the first peak growth in May, apply 450 kg of urea per hectare. Before the second peak growth in late July, apply 300 kg of urea per hectare. Weeding should begin when the seedlings are 3 to 4 cm tall and be done three to four times a year. During the growing season, remove buds and branches to promote the growth of the main stem and ensure the smoothness of the branches.
4. Pest and Disease Control: Maintain cleanliness in the willow fields to reduce sources of infection. Emphasize monitoring and, if chemical control is necessary, use efficient and low-toxic pesticides to protect beneficial organisms in the willow groves.
5. Harvest: Willow branches are generally harvested between late the 11th lunar month and early the 12th lunar month, on clear days. After harvesting, classify and stack them according to length and thickness.
6. Environmental and Safety Requirements: The use of pesticides and fertilizers must comply with national regulations and not pollute the environment.
(4) Quality Requirements for Willow Branches.
Uniform thickness, no branching, good luster, and strong flexibility. The dried branches with the skin on are chestnut-colored, free of eggs, and after stripping the skin, the dried branches are white without obvious impurities. The branches are 1 to 3 meters long, with a diameter of 0.5 to 1.0 cm in the middle section, and the difference in diameter between the root and tip of a 1-meter section is ≤1 mm. When bent into a circle with a radius 25 times the diameter of the branch, it does not break.
(5) Processing Requirements.
1. Selection of Materials: Must select willow branches produced within the protected area of Huoqiu County and that meet the quality requirements.
2. Weaving: Must be woven by hand, using one or a combination of plain weaving, twisting, flat weaving, vertical weaving, and nailing. Willow branches must cover more than 80% of the surface area of the finished product.
3. Processing Process: Material selection → Soaking → Bleaching and Cleaning → Weaving (or Shaping) → Finishing → Fumigation → Dyeing (or Spraying, or Waxing) → Drying (or Air Drying) → Packaging.
Protected Area
The geographical indication product protection area for Huoqiu Willow Weaving covers the administrative regions of the following six townships in Huoqiu County, Anhui Province: Linhuai Gang Township, Linsui Town, Zhouji Town, Chengxi Lake Township, Songdian Township, and Xindian Town.
Product Characteristics
1. Sensory Features: Smooth to the touch, flexible, resistant to impact, dropping, and compression, no mold, no odor, no blemishes, no pollution, strong breathability, durable, and eco-friendly.
(1) Willow Basket Products: Uniform willow branches, evenly spaced; products are smooth, delicate, and flexible, with no broken branches, no cracks, no missing branches, naturally flowing twists, narrow gaps, strong three-dimensional effect, and bright color.
(2) Furniture Products: Uniform and dense willow branches, sturdy frame, no broken ends,