Shaanxi residents weave a better life with straw

In a two-story house inside rows of neatly arranged apartment buildings in the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains, Chen Chunmiao often offers guidance to local residents learning the craft of straw weaving.

The 52-year-old has been running the straw-weaving cooperative for four years in a newly constructed community in Qiaonan, Shaanxi province. The township is about a one-hour drive from downtown Xi'an.

Most of her students never had a job before, Chen said, adding that she thought it was important to provide new opportunities for women in this mountainous region.

"Straw weaving skills not only boost confidence but also provide a stable income, since most of them previously only took care of children at home," Chen said.

Originating in the Southern Tang Dynasty (937-975), straw weaving in Shaanxi features products ranging from daily necessities to exquisite works of what can only be described as art.

"Materials for weaving come from villagers' daily lives — for example, straw and corn husks," Chen said.