When it comes to Laizhou hand-made, many people will think of the "champion pen" that writes splendid Chinese culture, the ingenious Laizhou jade carving, and the Laizhou dough sculpture that shapes the world, but in addition, there is also the straw braid culture that lingers with nostalgic memories. On February 1, 2023, under the guidance of Mr. Ji Yuchao, the members of the walking cultural team of the School of Computer Science of Qufu Normal University came to the Cultural Center of Laizhou City, Shandong Province, to get close to the braiding technique and learn about cultural creativity.
Laizhou grass braid has a history of thousands of years, and was included in the national intangible cultural heritage in 2008 Grass braid is a traditional handicraft that uses grass as a material to make various practical or decorative items through weaving, knotting and other techniques. According to the "Laizhou City Chronicle", more than 1,500 years ago, Shahe farmers were inspired by the braid, and used three bright white wheat straw grass to pinch out a herringbone braid, and later generations used this braid to make straw hats, so it was also named "straw hat braid". In the Ming Dynasty, the Laizhou grass braid technique was widely spread in China. After the Opium War, straw hats and other handicrafts produced with straw braids were exported and favored by foreign merchants, becoming one of the first Chinese goods to enter the Western market.
Through understanding, the practice team members learned that Laizhou grass braid uses wheat straw, which is convenient and low-cost to be used as raw material, forming the unique style characteristics of Laizhou grass braid. Under the guidance of the staff in the museum, the practice team members cleaned and simply dried the appropriate materials after they got them; Next, the hay is divided into filaments and then dyed to add a rich color to the work. After that, the most crucial weaving process is the practice team members, who patiently and meticulously weave the grass silk into various simple shapes, such as flowers, animals, etc. Finally, the staff will help with the process of trimming and varnishing, which is a necessary step to increase the beauty and durability of the work.
As a traditional handicraft, straw braid is not only a practical product, but also a cultural inheritance. In order to inherit and carry forward the straw braiding skills, Laizhou will hold the "Shandong Handmade - Laizhou Straw Creative Works Competition" in the cultural center, the team members in the exhibition hall of the Municipal Cultural Center, saw a variety of carefully prepared straw weaving, straw hats, straw shoes, straw bags, slippers, flower baskets, decorative paintings, etc., where there are excellent works of the past competitions or new products of contemporary artists. The person in charge of the Municipal Cultural Center told the team members that traditional handicrafts have been passed down from generation to generation and are rare and valuable assets. In order to better inherit these cultural treasures, it is necessary to explore and innovate, so that they can be better integrated into life and the times, and improve their survival and development capabilities.
Laizhou grass braid has a long history, not only leaving a lot of valuable handicraft basic information, creating important economic value, practical value and original aesthetic value, but also in its long history of development in the process of influencing and changing local folk customs, folk customs, cultivating people's spiritual sentiments.
Written by: Wang Zhen.
Walking cultural team.
Instructor: Ji Yuchao.