Promote the transformation and upgrading of the bamboo industry, and transform bamboo products from more to better

The wind blows on the bamboo mountain, the green waves roll, and Yang Jincai's bamboo mountain is also among them. "The area is not large, but the yield is considerable." Yang Jincai introduced, "The average growth cycle of bamboo that can be harvested for use as bamboo is only 3-5 years, and the average annual yield per mu is about 1 ton."

Bamboo is a high-quality environmentally friendly material with fast production, renewability, and strong plasticity. Targeting the advantages of bamboo resources, Zhenghe has long had the idea of developing the bamboo industry. However, native bamboo is prone to mold and insect infestation, how can we overcome the shortcomings of the technology?

In 2003, Zhenghe introduced bamboo processing technology. Each bamboo undergoes nearly 10 processes, including slicing, carbonization, drying, and hot pressing, to transform into bamboo boards. "Carbonization removes sugar, drying takes away moisture, and the resulting boards greatly facilitate subsequent processing," said Zhang Fuqiang, director of the Zhenghe County Bamboo Industry Development Center.

With the support of craftsmanship, the first batch of bamboo industry practitioners took the lead in testing the water, starting from a pair of chopsticks and a chopping board, and the bamboo industry in Zhenghe developed rapidly. However, problems also arise. In 2009, when Fujian Xiangfu Craft Co., Ltd. was established, the local bamboo industry was developing rapidly. "In the initial stage, most of the products were mainly imitations, with similar craftsmanship and product homogenization, and prices continued to decline," said Yang Zhong, the chairman of the company.

"Enterprises must be guided to cultivate their own competitiveness." In 2012, the government, county committee, and county government issued a document, requiring the county finance to allocate 10 million yuan annually for the development of the bamboo industry, with a focus on supporting bamboo enterprises to improve their product research and development and technological level.

Nowadays, at Xiangfu Company, there are over 200 varieties of bamboo tea sets alone. "With policy support, we continuously improve our craftsmanship and innovate a type of product every time we break through a new technology. Now, the company has 157 patents, and this number is still constantly being refreshed," said Yang Zhong.

Bamboo tables, bamboo chairs, bamboo frames, bamboo lunch boxes... Walking into the Xiangfu Bamboo Crafts Museum, visitors were surprised by such a rich variety of categories. In 2020, with the support of the Zhenghe County Government, Xiangfu Bamboo Craft Museum was established. "In traditional concepts, bamboo products are almost equivalent to disposable chopsticks, toothpicks, and other items. Building a bamboo craft themed museum has shown people more possibilities for the application of bamboo products," said Yang Zhong.

"Craftsmanship is the foundation, and bamboo craftsmanship is constantly improving, so that bamboo products can bloom." Zhang Fuqiang introduced that as of the end of 2023, there were more than 220 bamboo processing enterprises in Zhenghe County, including 46 large-scale bamboo enterprises with 788 patents. They can produce more than 3600 varieties of seven series of bamboo products, including tea sets, tableware, furniture, lamps, bamboo charcoal, bamboo handicrafts, and bamboo spaces.