Inheritor Xu Jingxue weaves a straw hat. [Photo by Bi Nan/chinadaily.com.cn]

Straw hats, once seen as purely utilitarian, are now gaining a new life as fashionable and internationally sought-after products—thanks in part to a centuries-old craft from Shandong province.

In Tancheng county, Linyi city, the tradition of cultivating Langya grass for weaving dates back over 200 years. The Langya grass weaving technique of Tancheng, which uses warp and weft methods to create straw hats and other household goods, was recognized as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage of Shandong in 2021.