At the beginning of our article, I will bring readers a fun puzzle game. The puzzle is: "Give me a green leaf, I will use wisdom and skillful hands to weave a vibrant and colorful world for you." I would like you to guess which traditional cultural skill represents this?

That's right, that's an exquisite and unparalleled handicraft technique - straw weaving.

Some people may ask why in weaving, the woven fabric made of leaves is not called "leaf weaving", but rather "straw weaving"? The reason for this is that the materials used in our traditional understanding of "grass weaving" are not the "grass" we usually recognize.

Naturally growing palm leaves

According to different interpretations, drafting can also be divided into broad and narrow senses.

In the broad sense of grass weaving, it involves various wild herbaceous plants, such as palm leaves with rich fiber tissue, dragon grass symbolizing toughness and longevity, and reeds with strong vitality. At the same time, it also includes crop waste, such as those gifts from nature - plump corn husks, as well as wheat straw and straw that can grow quickly. After being processed with people's wisdom and hard work, these materials exhibit the characteristic of soft material. Therefore, people can use these natural plant fibers and skillfully weave various stunning and exquisite works using handicrafts.

Broadly speaking, straw weaving is not limited to the use of herbaceous plants for weaving. In fact, grasses, woody plants, and vines can also be used to weave various handicrafts and daily necessities, all of which have their own unique characteristics. Among them, gramineous plants have the characteristics of light texture and elegant color, and are widely used in the production of handicrafts and household items, often exhibiting a fresh and elegant pastoral style; The fibers of woody plants are sturdy, with deep tones, and are often used to weave furniture, floors, door curtains, etc. They are not only practical but also aesthetically pleasing; Vine plants are flexible, winding, and have a unique texture. They are often used to weave rattan chairs, flower racks, chandeliers, etc. They are full of natural atmosphere and are deeply loved by people.

Grasshopper woven with palm leaves

Since ancient times, human interest in combining observed natural phenomena with the behavior of making tools has never subsided. They are enthusiastic about studying various natural phenomena such as wind, rain, thunder, electricity, mountains, water, plants, animals, etc. in the surrounding environment, and applying these observation results to the production of various tools in daily life, thereby making human life more convenient and comfortable, and improving the quality of life for humans.

In the ancient and mysterious ancient times, it was a distant period covered up by many myths and legends. At that time, in the vibrant and mysterious primitive continent, there was a great figure named Fu Xi. According to folk legend, he once stumbled upon a spider during a wilderness expedition. Through its ingenious web forming technique, the spider successfully captured many insects flying in the air and small animals crawling on the ground.

Upon seeing such a magical scene, Fu Xi was deeply attracted for a moment. He began to think about what a remarkable invention it would be if he could use the power of nature like a spider to create a tool that could capture more small animals. So, he immediately unleashed his infinite imagination and creativity and began designing and experimenting with this new tool.

In Fu Xi's heart, he clearly knew that to create such a tool, he must find one or more plants in nature. He began exploring in the nearby mountains and finally discovered materials that could be used to weave fishing nets, such as vines and weeds. He began to try weaving these plants and eventually created a fishing net that could be used to catch fish.

Spiders woven from palm leaves

This fishing net is a miracle created by Fu Xi with his wisdom and strength. He drew inspiration from nature and combined his own creativity to successfully transform a common plant in nature into a practical tool for catching fish. The emergence of this fishing net has made it easier for many people to fish in the wild, while also greatly improving the efficiency of human hunting.

It is precisely because of the wise people like Fu Xi that humanity can continuously progress and develop through continuous exploration and innovation.

After having fishing nets, fishing became more convenient and food became much easier to obtain.

The kind-hearted and innovative Youchao family, guided by nature, keenly observed that birds cleverly chose natural materials such as branches and vines during the process of building their nests, using their intelligence to build exquisite and stable nests. Inspired by this, while imitating the nesting behavior of birds, the Youchao family meticulously designed and built the first house in human history using materials such as abundant branches and tough vines in nature, combined with rigorous architectural techniques and innovative thinking. From then on, people had sturdy shelters from wind and rain, taking an important step towards the development of human civilization.

Handmade fan

The magnificent "Bird's Nest", the main venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympics that attracted worldwide attention, is a masterpiece of modern and visually stunning architecture that utilizes this unique architectural design concept to present a wonderful visual feast for the world.

In the distant Paleolithic period, human ancestors had astonishing wisdom. They cleverly utilized various highly flexible plant materials and used exquisite hand weaving techniques to weave dense and delicate webs, just like the warm barrier that nature had woven for them, to resist various dangers from nature. In this net, hardworking and intelligent people have carefully filled in huge hard stones. When faced with fierce beast attacks, they did not hesitate to use these heavy stones to smash their opponents, demonstrating astonishing courage and strength, and completely defending human dignity.

Archaeologists have excavated a large number of precious cultural relics around the world, and through these historical witnesses, we can glimpse the life of humans during the Paleolithic period. These unearthed cultural relics indicate that in that distant era, humans were able to cleverly use various soft plants in nature to make "skirts". These skirts are made of a variety of materials, including leaves, branches, grass leaves, etc. They hang lightly on human ancestors, helping them resist the cold and also serving as a cover for shame. This clever wisdom and art have witnessed the beautiful times of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

I firmly believe that every friend present here is already familiar with the concepts of carpenter and stonemason. Carpenters, as the name suggests, are craftsmen who specialize in handling various wooden tools and structures. Their work covers the creation and restoration of numerous wooden crafts such as wooden tables, chairs, and boxes; Stonemasons, on the other hand, are senior craftsmen engaged in jade carving and metal vessel carving. Their exquisite skills are not only demonstrated in the creation of various jade, bronze, and porcelain, but also widely used in the carving of stone components such as stone bridges and steles.

In various craft industries, there is actually a unique craftsman who is specifically responsible for the production of reed tools. Although they possess professional skills, they are not called grass craftsmen, but are revered as grass craftsmen.

In the Book of Rites and Rites of the Western Zhou Dynasty, it is recorded as follows: "The Six Crafts of the Heavenly Son include earth work, metal work, stone work, carpentry, animal work, and grass work, as well as the Six Materials of the Canon System

It is not difficult to see from here that at that time, using plants and plants to make items had become a skill recognized by the ruling class.

Throughout the long history, straw weaving techniques have been constantly influenced by the times and baptized by time, gradually evolving and evolving, thus being passed down and carried forward. With the passage of time and the development of history, the craft of straw weaving has been closely integrated with people's daily lives, and its practicality and convenience have been deeply imprinted in people's lives, becoming an indispensable part. It is worth mentioning that the art of straw weaving not only holds a pivotal position in the long river of history, but also extends its influence to the creation of poetry. Under the pen of ancient Chinese literati and literati, the art of straw weaving has become an important carrier for poets and lyricists to express emotions and emotions. Through depicting the art of straw weaving, they have depicted beautiful scenes of life, showcasing the atmosphere and charm of life, making readers feel the close connection and complementarity between straw weaving and life.

Coir raincoat and bamboo hat

The birds of the thousand mountains fly away, and the people of the ten thousand paths disappear. A lone boat with a straw hat, fishing alone in the cold river snow. "Liu Zongyuan's poem" Snow on the River ", in just 20 words, depicts a serene and ethereal scene for us.

Among them, coir raincoat refers to coir raincoat and hat woven with grass or hemp, which were common straw woven products in the past.

In the classic literary work of the Book of Songs, the straw hat is also mentioned as a straw woven product. At the beginning of the Book of Songs, Wei Feng's Ge Shoes, it is written: "Entangled shoes can cover the frost." The meaning of this sentence is that wearing these Ge shoes can withstand the cold frost and snow. The "Ge Lu" here is the original name for straw sandals. It can be seen that the straw hat is not only a daily necessities, but also carries the ancient people's reverence for nature and love for life.

In the epic drama "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", which depicts the intellectual struggle between heroes during the Three Kingdoms period, we often hear people discussing Liu Bei's background in a tone of disdain or contempt. They say that Liu Bei is a humble person from the bottom of society who relies on weaving mats and selling shoes for a meager livelihood, barely making ends meet. They may even directly depict Liu Bei as a poor person who works hard all day long in weaving straw mats and making straw shoes, rushing to make a living.

Saying that Liu Bei is just a lowly person who weaves mats and sells shoes is actually a deep contempt for Liu Bei, indicating that his identity and status are at the bottom of society.

In fact, the word "grass" has carried the meaning of lowliness and nobility since ancient China. In ancient times, when people saw emperors, they often used the term 'grassroots' to refer to them as humble, indicating their low status and forming a sharp contrast to the noble status of the emperor. Nowadays, some celebrities from ordinary families are affectionately referred to as "grassroots" by people to show respect for their ordinary origins, which precisely reflects the close connection between grass and the general public. Therefore, the image of grass symbolizes us ordinary people, and grass weaving is a product of the hard work and intelligence of ordinary people.

Straw sandals

In our primary school days, we were guided to recite this famous poem - "Lush grass on the plains, wither and prosper every in one year, withers and thrives once each. The wildfire is endless, and the spring breeze is blowing again.". In this poem, the author portrays the tenacious vitality of the grass through the withering and flourishing changes of the four seasons. This vitality extends from poetry and attaches to every child, making us feel the tenacity and greatness of life for the first time.

Similarly, the vitality of grass is not only reflected in nature, but also in human life. The art of straw weaving is a form of art that is full of vitality. This skill integrates the vitality of grass into practical and aesthetic values, allowing people to feel the tenacity and tenacity of grass while enjoying the convenience brought by straw weaving products.

Overall, the vitality of grass is tenacious, and so is the skill of straw weaving. This vitality gives us confidence to face various difficulties and challenges in life, and also enables us to understand the meaning and value of life. Therefore, each and every one of us should be like grass, constantly learning, growing, striving to become a better self, and creating a better life.