Woven bamboo goods with an age of up to 7000 years unearthed at the
Hemudu cultural ruins show that bamboo weaving has been a part of Chinese cultural history since very early periods of development. By the
Warring States period, technique had substantially improved and examples of many types of bamboo wares have been found, such as boxes and bowls. During the
Qin and
Han dynasties these techniques were applied to create new types of bamboo wares such as mats and curtains. A notable example from this period would be bamboo weaving patterns represented in bronze from a chariot found in the
mausoleum of
Qin Shi Huang. By the
Tang and
Song dynasties, bamboo weaving had expanded beyond practical objects and into creation of toys. During the middle
Ming dynasty, bamboo weaving was mostly used for boxes and storage containers. After the founding of the
People's Republic of China, efforts have been made by the government to encourage and preserve the cultural history and skill of bamboo weaving, awarding titles to particularly accomplished masters of the craft, as well as designating some regions as recognized for their long history of practicing the art. ==Applications==