Wudang hosts festival celebrating traditional basketry paintings

The Wudang Traditional Basketry Painting Cultural Festival opened on Sept 12 at Xintian Flower, Bird, and Fish Market in Guiyang's Wudang district. Centered on the theme of harvests, the event brought together inheritors of the traditional craft, calligraphers, painters, students, and culture enthusiasts for a series of creative activities.

A basketry painting at the event. [Photo/WeChat account of Wudang district]

From Sept 12 to 30, more than 100 basketry paintings, including works by traditional craft inheritor Luo Yuanli, will be on public display at the market.

Basketry painting originated in Duzhai village, Xinbao Bouyei township, Wudang district. The traditional art evolved from the practice of painting on bamboo baskets once used by Bouyei people to hold ciba (a traditional glutinous rice cake). Its themes draw on ethnic legends and folk customs, expressing wishes for a good harvest.

During the festival, the bamboo baskets serve as canvases, creating opportunities for traditional craftsmanship to meet contemporary artistic expression.

At the event, an inheritor of the traditional craft demonstrated the full process of creating a basketry painting, from sketching to completion. Artists created works around the harvest theme, while students painted harvest scenes under the guidance of craft inheritors. Online creators also documented the process and promoted the traditional art through social media.