Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Correspondent Tao Weiming) news: “To create high-quality baskets, it is essential to tightly stretch the twigs,” said Ma Zhanshan on December 3, 2023, while he was teaching his grandson to make baskets step by step. Ma was happy to see his grandson loving and being eager to learn the wickerwork handicraft.

Photo taken on December 3, 2023 shows Ma Zhanshan teaches his grandson to make baskets.

Photo taken on December 3, 2023 shows Ma Zhanshan teaches his grandson to make baskets.

Ma Zhanshan, 68 years old, is a villager of Guanglin Village in Yuanhucun Town, Hutubi County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He was interested in wickerwork influenced by his grandfather when he was a child.

“When I was a child, my grandparents made all of the baskets used at home, which were very durable,” said Ma Zhanshan. In 2015, Ma Zhanshan's relatives prepared to open a farmhouse and invited him to make some ornaments, which stimulated his enthusiasm for creation again. The works he created with twigs made the farmhouse full of pastoral atmosphere, and gained praise from tourists.

Photo taken on December 3, 2023 shows Ma Zhanshan teaches wickerwork skills to his grandson and granddaughter.

From then on, Ma has been farming during the days and made wickerworks for one or two hours during the nights. As his creation increases, he has become more skilled in weaving. "Some of my creations are made in the way of weaving, and others are better fitting the way of nailing. These wooden paintings on the wall were created with nailing," Ma Zhanshan said.

Photo taken on December 3, 2023 shows Ma Zhanshan makes baskets by twigs.

In 2019, supported by his family, Ma held an exhibition on nostalgia at his yard, exhibiting his creations and some old furniture, which attracted many villagers from surrounding villages and tourists from different places.

Now, Ma has become a well-known craftsman in Guanglin Village. In 2023, the village had also built a studio for him, hoping that he could lead more people to pass on this craft.

Photo taken on December 3, 2023 shows Ma Zhanshan and his wickerwork.

"Now we’re living a good life in a beautiful village, and I will create more works and let more people to know the handicraft," Ma Zhanshan said.

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