Briefly describe the historical development of silk in China

The Holocene Warm Period (Atlantic Ocean) brought a warmer climate to China, allowing mulberry trees and silkworms to be widely cultivated in the Yellow River Basin.

Legend has it that Rayon, the wife of the Yellow Emperor, invented "silk farming", but it is debatable when silk was actually invented.

Chinese archaeologists discovered fragments of silk about 5,500 years old during an archaeological expedition to the Qingtai site in Xingyang, Henan Province, in 1998.

Another theory is that textile tools were found at the Hemudu site, which suggests that silk was used at least as early as the Liangzhu culture (Weiss, "A Primer on the Beginning of Silk Weaving in China").

But the most influential claim in the world is the archaeological discovery by Chinese scientists in 1958 of silk weavings dating from 5300 years ago (during the Dawenkou culture).

Silk weaving was a technology monopolized by China for centuries, and was a complex craft at the time due to its preparation techniques, as well as being highly prized for its unique feel and luster.

As a result, silk fabrics became the world's major international trade item before the Industrial Revolution.

In the early days, silk fabrics were only used by the emperors, but the rapid development of the silk industry has led to the continuous geographical and social penetration of silk culture into Chinese culture.

And it became an indispensable high-level item in the foreign trade of Chinese merchants.

At first, China tightly controlled the flow of silk weaving and sericulture technology and prohibited its flow to foreign countries.

But North Korea, with the help of Chinese immigrants, succeeded in making a breakthrough in sericulture in 200 BC.

In addition, sericulture was successfully practiced in the western region and the Tien River Valley (500 - 300 BC) and in India (before 300 BC).

The Roman Empire, however, did not acquire silkworm seeds and develop sericulture until around 550: legend has it that several monks working for the Eastern Roman Emperor smuggled silkworm seeds out of China in hollowed-out walking sticks, which made their way to Constantinople.

Although the legend is not very credible, the Byzantines who followed did develop silk preparation techniques, setting up silkworm chambers and reeling machines in palace courtyards to serve the emperors.

At the time, most of all the native Byzantine silk was enjoyed by royalty, and the remaining material could be sold on the market at an exorbitant price.

Experts have speculated, based on archaeological discoveries, that in the middle of the Neolithic period, 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, China began raising silkworms, extracting silk, and weaving silk.

By the Shang Dynasty, silk production had begun to take shape, with a high level of craftsmanship, complex looms and weaving craft.

China is the world's first to raise silkworms and reeling silk countries, the ancestors of the Chinese people not only invented silk, but also the prosperity of silk, the use of silk, so that it is in the dress, the economy, art and culture are emanating from the brilliant light art, and then make the silk clothes all over the world.

Known as the three famous brocades of ancient Sichuan Shu brocade, Suzhou Song brocade, Nanjing Yun brocade is an excellent representative of silk fabrics, and still enjoys a high reputation in the world.

Therefore, silk, in a sense, represents the long and splendid culture of China.

With the great economic development of the Warring States, Qin and Han Dynasties, silk production reached a peak.

Almost all places can produce silk, silk color varieties are also rich up, mainly divided into silk, qi, brocade three categories.

The emergence of Jin is an important milestone in the history of Chinese silk, which combines the excellent performance of silk and fine art, silk is not only noble clothing, but also works of art, greatly improving the cultural connotation and historical value of silk products, the impact is very far-reaching.

By the Qin and Han Dynasties, silk weaving industry has not only been a great development, and with the large-scale expansion of China's foreign influence in the Han Dynasty, silk trade and export reached an unprecedented level of prosperity.

The promotion of trade made the economic and cultural exchanges between the Central Plains and the frontier, China and its eastern and western neighbors further developed, thus forming the famous "Silk Road".

The road started from ancient Chang'an, traveled west through Gansu and Xinjiang, passed through Central and West Asia, and eventually reached Europe.

In 126 BC, a large amount of Chinese silk was transported westward through the Silk Road under the westward policy of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

Through the Wei, Jin, and Northern Dynasties and into the Tang Dynasty, Chinese silk underwent a great deal of change, integrating and eclecticizing its traditional heritage on the one hand, and incorporating the best of foreign techniques and patterns on the other.

The prolonged wars of the Three Kingdoms, the Two Jin dynasties, and the Northern and Southern dynasties caused serious damage to the economy of the Yellow River basin, and by the Sui dynasty, the center of gravity of China's sericulture and silk industry had shifted to the Yangtze River basin.

The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of silk production, both production, quality and variety have reached an unprecedented level.

Silk production organization is divided into the court handicrafts, rural side industry and independent handicrafts three, the scale of the previous generation has greatly expanded.

At the same time, the silk of foreign trade has also been a huge development, not only the "Silk Road" channel increased to three, and the frequency of trade is unprecedented.

Silk production and trade for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty made a great contribution.

During the Song and Yuan dynasties, with the advancement of sericulture technology, Chinese silk had a short-lived glory.

Not only the color varieties of silk has increased significantly, especially the emergence of the Song brocade, silk and decorated with gold fabrics three distinctive new varieties, but also the summary of sericulture production technology and the promotion of a great breakthrough.

Ming and Qing dynasties, due to the emergence and development of capitalism, silk production and trade has also undergone major changes: the trend of commercialization of silk production is becoming increasingly evident, the rapid development of overseas trade in silk.

The southern Jiangsu Su Lake area has become the most important silk production area, the development of a number of typical silk professional towns, government weaving is also becoming more mature, at this time, China's silk development to the most active period.

But the feudal system on the obstruction of productive forces is also very prominent, the late Qing Dynasty, China's silk industry in the harsh taxes and foreign thick dumping under the double blow, into a very sad situation.

People's Republic of China **** and after the establishment of the country, the silk industry has entered a new historical period.

From 1980 to 1990 during the decade, China's raw silk production rose from 36,000 tons to 57,000 tons, an increase of 1.58 times; the production of silk fabrics increased more than two times; silk fabrics consumption also grew from 400 million meters to 1.22 billion meters, an increase of about three times; exported raw silk accounted for more than 80% of the world trade in raw silk, satin to account for 50% up and down.

After years of hard work, China has again fought for the dominant position in the world silk market, the silk industry has become the country's foreign exchange earnings pillar industry.

China's silk more rapid development, the completion of a more complete silk industry system, silk products have been exported to more than 100 countries and regions around the world.

China's ancient silk in the new situation of reform and opening up, is a new youth, towards a bright future.