Palm leaf weaving is a traditional craft popular in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province. Craftsmen can weave all kinds of things vividly from palm leaves, such as insects and animals. It was selected as an intangible cultural heritage of the city in 2013.

The local government has strengthened promotion of the craft in the public over the years, by opening palm leaf weaving classes and activities to increase residents’ understanding of the craft and encouraging them to help protect and develop it.

Hu Zhigang, representative inheritor of the craft in Shaoxing, has also been devoted to its development in recent years, by teaching local residents to make the handicraft and exhibiting his works in hotels.

绍兴棕叶编织工艺，是以经过处理的棕榈叶为原材料，纯手工编织各种作品的传统手工技艺。手工艺人把天然的棕榈叶特殊处理后，经过拉丝、打结等编织手法，利用结与结之间的差异，巧妙地把日常所见的物品惟妙惟肖地呈现出来。该项目于2013年1月入选第五批绍兴市非物质文化遗产代表性项目名录。

作为一项流传在绍兴民间的传统手工技艺，它凝聚着众多民间手工艺人的智慧，经过一代代民间手工艺人的传承和创新，该技艺亦被注入了新的内涵。绍兴市文化馆（非遗中心）通过开设棕榈叶编织工艺体验课和传习班，开展现场技艺展示等活动，加大对棕榈叶编织工艺等传统手工技艺的宣传力度，使广大市民加深对非物质文化遗产的了解，使越来越多的人投身到非物质文化遗产的保护工作中来，使这些传统手工技艺在年轻人手中得到更好传承和发展，拥有新的活力。

近年来，市级代表性传承人胡志刚也一直在努力拓展宣传销售渠道，扩大项目的影响力,寻求新的发展空间。

Video courtesy of Zhejiang Daily (视频由浙江日报提供)