Award: Documentary Award

Time: 2002-2005
Place: Northern Huai River, Anhui, China
Nationality: Han

Maowo, also named longwo, are a kind of light and practical straw shoes for keeping warm in the north of Huai River area, People wear them between October in lunar calendar and spring next year. The common maowo have a six-centimeter-high wooden sole, which will not turn wet in the rainy and muddy weather. Maowo worn by senior people are flat-heeled and the sole made of braided straw and cloth strings for steady walking. This kind of shoes has been suitable for people of any age and any class.
As it was wet in this area in the ancient times, it is hard for people to work out in winter, which made bulrush in lakes and pools and willow wood used to make straw shoes. The end of autumn and the beginning of winter is the best season to pick bulrush tassel woven with abutilon string as the woof; bottom root of willows is the best material for sole.
As society changes and people’s life improves, the production of clothing has gradually been socialized. There is a decline of making maowo, the traditional straw sandals, which still exist in remote rural area of north Huai River and border part of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan and Anhui.