Ramie cloth is a living fossil in textiles, the oldest fabric. According to historical records: “In ancient times, hemp was used first, and cotton did not enter China until later. The fabrics of that time were all made from hemp, used by people from the highest ranks of society to the lowest.”
However, a more precise definition is that it is a plain weave fabric made from ramie, which has been an important textile fiber crop since ancient times.
Because it is commonly used for summer clothing, being cool and comfortable, it is also commonly known as “summer cloth” or “summer material.”
The weaving level of ramie reached a very high standard during the Western Han Dynasty, with its fineness comparable to the famous plain silk cicada robe excavated from the Mawangdui tomb.
Ramie harvested in spring and autumn must go through multiple manual processes such as soaking, peeling, washing, spinning, threading, twisting, combing, sizing, and weaving before a bolt of ramie cloth can be produced.
It is precisely because of this that ramie cloth is even more precious. This traditional handicraft has been listed as part of the national intangible cultural heritage protection program.
There is a poem that describes the scene of weaving:
During the day they work in the fields, at night they spin ramie; men and women each manage their own household.
The children, who do not yet understand farming and weaving, also learn to plant melons under the mulberry trees.
The Book of Songs (Shijing) records a specific process for de-gumming ramie fibers: “At the eastern gate pond, one can soak ramie.” This means placing the ramie fibers in a clear water pond to ferment, allowing the gum in the fibers to dissolve, making it easier to spin into yarn.
As early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the ancient Yue people in Jiangxi Province had already begun cultivating and hand-weaving ramie.
Ramie, praised by Shennong, was historically called “silk of the wealthy,” while Western countries referred to it as “Chinese grass.”
Japan particularly loves ramie cloth, calling it “Nanjing grass.” Echigo Jofu is a type of ramie cloth produced in Minami-Uonuma City and Kariwa City in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
In Japan, ramie cloth is often used to make obi belts for kimonos, door curtains, and wall decorations.
Due to the heavy gum content in ramie fibers and the irregularity of the fibers, each step in the production process can only be done by hand and cannot be replaced by machines. This results in the inability to mass-produce ramie cloth even in today's technologically advanced industrial era.
Tracing the origins of each traditional craft, it is not difficult to find that they are often closely related to our living environment and needs. Rongchang, Chongqing, is a representative production area for ramie cloth in China.
During the hot summer months, the superior properties of ramie cloth—such as its ability to keep sweat away from the body, its breathability, heat dissipation, crispness, and natural antibacterial qualities—make it stand out. Its unique texture and regional ethnic characteristics are unmatched by other fibers.
In the distant Han and Tang dynasties, a dance called “White Ramie Dance” was popular, where dancers performed with thin, mist-like white ramie cloth, changing their poses to the intense music.
Ramie cloth may not be flashy, but it has a strong character.
Today, with the popularity of tea art, some people have started using ramie cloth in tea ceremonies, designing new and elegant Chinese-style tea settings.
“Light as gossamer, thin as paper, soft as silk, smooth as a mirror”—ramie cloth once enjoyed great glory. However, for most people today, ramie cloth is more like a pastoral idyll from the past, far removed from daily life, leading to a decline in the number of craftsmen skilled in its production. Nevertheless, there are still some people who continue to inherit this ancient craft, using ramie cloth to sing a solitary elegy for that bygone era.
