Workers of Xihu Community in Shaoxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province are helping elderly residents' woven baskets sell better by incorporating young people's trendy design ideas to attract more customers.
The updated designs give the baskets a fresh look, turning them into highly sought-after items while preserving their traditional craft.
"I came by a couple of days ago and bought a basket, and it is really pretty. So I come back again to buy more for my friends, because these baskets are truly beautiful, stylish and well designed," said Ms. Sun, a customer at a basket store.
The basket makers are elderly residents of Xihu Community. While they possess the traditional skills to weave the baskets, their earlier products used outdated designs with limited use in daily life.
To give the traditional baskets a new look, local community workers partnered with art students to bring in young and fresh ideas.
"We will submit a design concept for the art students to review and evaluate, giving it a rating. If it receives a high rating, we will incorporate the design into the baskets," said Yao Hui, a student.
With young people's modern design concepts, these baskets are now crafted using traditional techniques but featuring updated designs that better fit everyday life for younger consumers.
To reach a broader market, the community also teamed up with professional operators to promote the baskets through short videos, live streaming and other online channels.
"We are pursuing a strategy that combines brand, story and promotion. By combining the traditional craftsmanship of the elderly and new promotional methods, we help them get tangible economic benefits," said Shi Yefeng, a community worker.
So far, nearly 2,000 baskets have been sold since May this year, enabling 68 elderly residents to increase income right in the community.
Zhejiang's community revamps woven baskets with inspired design to boosts sales
An age-old feather duster craft in north China's Hebei Province has found new life online, as livestreaming turns a village tradition into a source of income for elderly residents. In Luan'nan County, Tangshan City, Liu Wenhao, Party secretary of Zhangmawan Village, is promoting the village's handmade feather dusters alongside fellow villagers in livestreams. Since 2024, he has led villagers in bringing the traditional craft online, quickly turning it into an internet sensation.
Elderly villagers now craft dusters while also serving as online hosts, participating in livestreams and welcoming tourists. Liu Huiying is one of them.
"This is no small income. I earn about 20,000 yuan (about 2,981 U.S. dollars) a year, which is more than enough. They call me an internet celebrity. I'm happy," she said.
The feather duster craft has a long history in Zhangmawan. Once a sideline for villagers during the agricultural off-season, craftsmen worked from dawn to dusk only to sell a single duster for 0.3 to 0.5 yuan. Sales were slightly better at rural fairs, but earnings were barely enough to make a living. As modern cleaning products diversified, traditional feather dusters gradually faded from daily life.
In recent years, with the rise of short-video platforms, several young people in the village began experimenting with short videos. Their first video showing the making of a feather duster garnered more than 600,000 views.
"Our village's traditional craft was well-known throughout the region. So we thought, with so many people here skilled at making feather dusters, why not sell them online and help boost their incomes?" said Liu.
Zhangmawan has more than 200 residents over the age of 60. To boost their incomes and pass on the craft, product transformation was key. Young villagers pooled their ideas and decided to enter the cultural and creative market.
While veteran artisans persisted in handmade production, younger people focused on innovative designs, launching new items such as car hangings, bag charms, desktop ornaments and cat teasers, tailored to modern aesthetics and lifestyles.
Online popularity has also boosted offline tourism. The village has leveraged its advantages to offer craft workshops, rural sightseeing, farm meals and educational study tours, attracting a large number of visitors and children.
"You can hang it on a schoolbag or car keys -- it can go in many places. And if something gets dirty, you can use it to sweep," said Meng Shixuan, a young visitor.
"We want to keep updating our cultural and creative feather duster products, and through short videos and livestreaming, develop the village's study tour and sightseeing businesses to provide more jobs and income opportunities," Liu said.
Chinese village turns traditional feather duster craft into online hit
