Villagers make products woven from willow on June 10 in Zhucun village of Linshu county, Shandong province. [Photo by Liang Ben for chinadaily.com.cn]

Historical records show that as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907), local villagers were already weaving the pliable branches into practical items such as baskets, grain containers, and winnowing pans.

From its humble origins, wickerwork has grown into a pillar of the Linshu economy. The industry generated a production value of 950 million yuan ($140 million) in the first four months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 16.58 percent. Export value during the same period reached 268 million yuan, up 9.38 percent from the previous year, according to the latest figures.