Tibetan grew rich on traditional bamboo crafts

Located at the western bank of the lower Yarlung Zangbo River, the village of Dexing abounds with bamboo and rattan. Local residents from the Lhoba and Moinba ethnic groups are known for their crafts and their colorful bamboo goods. 

Under the strong support of the Medog county government and the central government, Dexing village has developed a thriving bamboo and rattan industry. Deputy Head of the Dexing village, Xiraoduoji, recalls the industry's development.

"With the assistance of the central government, our 29 young men received comprehensive bamboo weaving skills training in Sichuan province in 2013. In 2015, the Beijing Deng Xiaolin Rattan Wood Furniture Factory began making bamboo products with the new technology."

Local residents from the Lhoba and Moinba ethnic groups are known for their crafts and their colorful bamboo goods. [Photo: CRI/Liu Rui]

Dexing has been preserving and passing on the traditional crafts among the Lhoba and Moinba ethnic groups for thousands of years. The village is also striving to uplift people out of poverty through a national strategy calling for mass entrepreneurship and industrial innovation in the "local handicraft industry".

The factory has now become a professional Cooperative. Zhang Yiqun is the manager of the Cooperative. 

"The raw materials are picked by local residents on the mountain and are initially processed in the factory, and then weaved by local people at home. The woven products are then purchased by the factory and sold by the Cooperative. We set up a physical store in Bayi District this year."

The factory adopted an industrial development model by combining the factory production and family workshop. More than 60 families in Dexing village were involved in this production. Over 500 pieces of handicraft were sold last year with an annual sales volume of 1.3 million yuan (about 195 000 US dollars).

The factory adopted an industrial development model by combining the factory production and family workshop.[Photo: CRI/Liu Rui]

There were a vast variety of bamboo and rattan artifacts in the Cooperative. The workshop and warehouse in the factory were all full of products including rattan chairs and bags as well as bamboo stools and baskets. Cooperative staffer Huang Xi, said 70 percent of these products were sold in domestic markets like Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Suzhou and Hangzhou.

"Our products are popular in hotels and tea houses. Rattan products are tougher than bamboo, and a lot more durable."

The Deputy County chief Tselangyongzen said the Medog County government targeted e-commerce in order to promote sustainable development of the bamboo and rattan industries.

"The county government has signed a agreement worth around 10 million yuan (1.5 million US dollars) with the "Ayun" shop in Lhasa. 

Local residents from the Lhoba and Moinba ethnic groups are known for their crafts and their colorful bamboo goods. [Photo: CRI/Liu Rui]

We have launched e-commerce operations in one particular shop, the next one will be with the bamboo factory."

With the help of e-commerce, traditional bamboo handicraft in Dexing village will be further promoted.

The larger Nyingchi City invested 3.7 million yuan (about 550 thousand US dollars) in building a bamboo and rattan processing factory covering an area of 520 square meters in Dexing Village in 2013. [Photo: CRI/Liu Rui]