How long has the history of silk weaving been in China?

Ancient legend has it that the Yellow Emperor's wife, Rayon, invented the "silk worm," but the reality of when silk was actually invented is still controversial.

Experts have speculated, based on archaeological findings, that in the middle of the Neolithic period, 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, China began to raise silkworms, silk, silk weaving. What really shows that cocoons were utilized is the half cocoon excavated in 1926 in Xiyin Village, Xia County, Shanxi Province. According to archaeologist Li Ji and entomologist Liu Zongle's research, concluded that the cocoon of the mulberry silkworm. The cocoon shell is about 1.36 centimeters long and 1.04 centimeters wide, which was cut off with a sharp knife blade - part of the cocoon. Xiyin Village is located in the era of Yangshao period (about 5600-6000 years ago), for people to study the origin of silk provides a physical object.

In the Hemudu site people have found textile tools, which can be inferred that the use of silk at least not later than the Liangzhu culture . The most influential claim was made by Chinese scientists in 1958, when they discovered silk weavings from the 5,300-year-old Da Wenkou culture.

Silk weaving technology had been monopolized by China for hundreds of years, because of its preparation technology at that time is a complex craft, but also because of its unique feel and luster of the people's attention, and thus the silk fabric became the world's major international trade before the Industrial Revolution. The earliest silk fabrics can only be used by emperors, but the rapid development of the silk industry so that the silk culture continues to geographically and socially penetrate into Chinese culture. It has become an indispensable high-level item in the foreign trade of Chinese merchants.

At first, China tightly controlled the flow of silk weaving and sericulture techniques and prohibited their export to foreign countries. However, with the help of Chinese immigrants, Joseon succeeded in making a breakthrough in sericulture in the first 200 years. In addition, sericulture was successfully realized in the western region and the Tien River Valley (500-300 BC) and in India (before 300 BC). However, the Roman Empire did not obtain silkworm seeds and develop sericulture technology until around 550. During the Shang Dynasty, agriculture developed greatly, and sericulture was also established on a certain scale. Although the number of archaeological finds of Shang silk fabrics is limited, jacquard silk fabrics have appeared, indicating that the weaving technology had reached a considerable level.

Western Zhou period, the ruler of the hand industrial production has been a strict organization and management, silk production technology than the Shang Dynasty has improved.

Spring and Autumn and Warring States period is the transition from slavery to feudalism in Chinese history, the productive forces and socio-economic patterns have changed dramatically. The sericulture and silk industry was also emphasized, and the development of agriculture and mulberry became an important national policy for countries to enrich and strengthen their people.

Warring States period, agriculture and handicrafts combination of farmers became the basic production unit of society, handicrafts become an important part of the agricultural economy. The specialized division of labor in silk production became more obvious, and some techniques were passed down from generation to generation, reaching a fairly high level . Almost all places can produce silk, silk color varieties are also rich, 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, not only noble clothing, but also works of art, greatly improving the cultural connotation and historical value of silk products, with far-reaching impact. At this time the Chinese silk was also imported into India, Indian politicians, philosophers Kaodi Liye (Kautilya) of the "political affairs" (also translated as "the art of governance and peace") a book in the word cinapatta, which means "China's bundles of silk". In addition, many words from the Sanskrit can also be seen, the ancient Indian people on the knowledge of silk than the Greeks and Romans much more accurate, they know that the silk is a worm spit, silk is cocoon (old n) pumped into the. Qin and Han period is China's feudal society in the initial consolidation and development of the period, the unification of Qin and the establishment of a centralized system of power for the Han dynasty laid the foundation for strength. In the early Han Dynasty, the policy of "cultivating with the people" was implemented, which promoted the rapid development of the economy. The large-scale government-run silk industry was established, its products mainly to meet the needs of the court and the government; private silk weaving industry also had a greater development, some workshops have formed their own product characteristics and popularity. Silk production area than the Shangzhou period has developed. The center of gravity of silk production in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River during the Western Han Dynasty, and from the Eastern Han Dynasty onwards, the Shu brocade of the Southwest became a nationally renowned silk product.

Qin and Han Dynasty, silk weaving industry not only got a big development, but also with the large-scale expansion of China's foreign influence in the Han Dynasty, silk trade and export reached an unprecedented prosperity. During the period of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, he attacked Xiong Nu in the north and controlled the Hexi Corridor leading to the western regions. Zhang Qian's two expeditions to the Western Regions bridged the road from the Central Plains to the Western Regions and across the Eurasian continent. The promotion of trade led to the further development of economic and cultural exchanges between the Central Plains and the borderlands, and between China and its eastern and western neighbors, thus forming the famous "Silk Road". The road started from Chang'an, traveled westward through Gansu and Xinjiang, passed through Central and West Asia, and finally reached Europe. Before 126 years, in the Han Emperor's westward policy, China's silk and silk constantly through the Silk Road to Central Asia, West Asia and reached Europe, the Silk Road along the excavation of a large number of silk fabrics of the Han Dynasty is the prosperity of the trade in physical evidence. China's silk production technology also spread to Central Asia during this period. Wei Jin and North and South Dynasties period, wars were continuous, the country was divided for a long time, and the regime changed frequently. Drastic social upheaval, complex political patterns, continued ethnic integration, extensive international exchanges, so that silk production, although the development of difficult, but rich in connotation, the face of diversity. During this period, the north is still the main production area of silk fabrics, Chengdu, Sichuan silk industry has always been developed, the Jiangnan region as a result of the Three Kingdoms related policies, the development of the silk industry has a new beginning, after the operation of the Southern Dynasties and further development, for the mid-Tang Dynasty, after the rise of the silk industry in Jiangnan laid the foundation.

The three kingdoms, the two jin dynasty, the north and south dynasties of the long war, caused serious damage to the economy of the yellow river basin, to the sui dynasty, the center of gravity of China's sericulture and silk industry has been shifted to the Yangtze river basin. Sui and Tang dynasties is the peak of the development of China's feudal society, in general, the country strong, economically developed, prosperous business, especially the cultural openness, showing the era of generous, eclectic and inclusive style. Silk industry also appeared on the basis of this social development climax. At that time, there were three important silk production areas: one is the Yellow River basin, Hebei, Henan Province, the two provinces as the main body; the second is the Sichuan Ba Shu area, Jiannan Road and the western part of the Shannan Road can be classified as the region; the third is the Yangtze River under the southeastern region, the basic formation of the situation of the three powers. After the Anshi Rebellion, the importance of the Jiangnan region greatly increased. In addition, the development of silk in the northwest region is second to none among the remote areas and shows strong local characteristics.

The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of silk production, both output, quality and variety reached an unprecedented level. Silk production organization is divided into the court handicrafts, rural industry and independent handicrafts three, the scale of the previous generation 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 also unprecedented. Silk production and trade for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty made a great contribution.

The silk trade in the Tang Dynasty was very developed, and the land silk trade routes used more of a circuitous road to the north. Maritime Silk Road also emerged in this period, silk products through the East China Sea line and the South China Sea line, respectively, to the Korean Peninsula, Japan and Southeast Asia, India and even by Arab traders spread to Europe. The prosperity of the silk trade led to the silk technology outreach, to the 7th century, from Japan in the east, west to Europe, southwest to India have silk production, basically laid the pattern of the future silk production areas. Song and Yuan dynasties, with the progress 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 decorative gold fabrics, three new varieties with characteristics, but also the summary of sericulture production technology and the promotion of a great breakthrough.

Northern Song silk production to the Yellow River basin, the Jiangnan region and the Sichuan region as an important production areas, the center of gravity of production in the late period has been transferred to the Jiangnan region, but the north in the production of high-grade silk fabrics still maintains the advantage. Southern Song Dynasty, silk production areas are basically concentrated in the Yangtze River Basin, Jiangnan silk production is absolutely dominant, Zhejiang has become a veritable "Silk House". Liao in the capture of Yan Yun sixteen states began to develop sericulture silk production, the Jin Dynasty ruled the region's silk industry has been destroyed, but also maintain a certain scale.

Song dynasty official silk production workshop has a considerable scale, in the capital under the lesser supervisor to set up Ayakin hospital, dyeing hospital, Wenshi hospital and Wen embroidery hospital, but also in the important silk production areas set up official weaving institutions. Tokyo's ayakin hospital, true zong years have more than 400 looms, run state weaving service annual output of 10,000 pi, emerging silk weaving center city wuzhou, known as "clothing the world". The Taihu Lake area "cocoon book mountain standing, reeling car sound even ridge heard". The two Song dynasty folk silk weaving industry is very developed, in addition to the traditional handicrafts as a rural area, the silk weaving workshops in the city emerged in large numbers, the strength of the folk machine growing. In terms of foreign trade, as the land silk road was blocked, the sea silk trade had a great development, China's raw silk and silk through the sea silk road to all over the world.

Yuan silk has distinctive characteristics of the times. The beginning of the yuan silk production suffered war damage, but the production area still has a certain scale, in the province under the jurisdiction of the "hinterland" area and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River where the province of Jiangsu and Zhejiang for the most prosperous, the history of the first official compilation of agricultural books "Nongsang Series" also issued in the country. After the middle of the yuan dynasty, the pattern of production areas have big changes, the decline of silk production in the northern region, the southern region has become more important. The reason is on the one hand, the climate becomes cold so that the north is not suitable for sericulture production, on the other hand, the cotton planting also makes sericulture tend to concentrate. Due to the Mongolian aristocrats on the special hobby of precious crafts, the Yuan Dynasty set up a large number of government workshops, focusing on a large number of excellent craftsmen, conscripted silk raw materials, unprecedented scale of large-scale production. Huge official weaving system is an important feature of the yuan dynasty silk production, private silk production has a certain inhibition. Ming and Qing dynasties, due to the budding 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. Jiangnan 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 maturing, at this time, China's silk development to the most active period.

The beginning of the Ming Dynasty took a series of measures to re-farming and thrift, sericulture and silk industry in the range of production areas have been reduced, but the formation of a regional intensive production centered on Jiangnan, which Su, Hangzhou, Song, Jia, Lake for the five major silk towns. After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the social atmosphere is becoming more extravagant, in the commodity economy and professional division of labor under the conditions of operation, the silk industry and commerce in the Jiangnan region has gained great prosperity.

The Ming government weaving industry on a larger scale, in addition to the establishment of the central dyeing and weaving institutions in Nanjing and Beijing, but also in the silk-producing areas of Suzhou, Hangzhou, and more than 20 places across the country to set up local weaving and dyeing bureaus to supply the court and the government each year, the section of the required horses. Production mode of "bureau weaving" and outgoing "collar weaving" two kinds of bureau weaving is a shift system of corvée, collar weaving for the folk machine, the personal dependence of the craftsmen loosened compared to the Yuan Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty implemented the sea ban, foreign trade for the government-controlled tribute trade, silk products in the form of court bounty into neighboring countries and regions. After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the sea ban was gradually opened, and a large amount of Chinese raw silk and silk were sold to Japan and to Europe through the Macao region.

The silk industry in the early Qing Dynasty in the war losses. Kangxi used to encourage measures, silk production to obtain faster development, further to the geographical area around the Taihu Lake area and the Pearl River Delta, especially in the scale and level of Jiangnan region to become the center of the national silk industry.

The Qing Dynasty official weaving system abolished the Ming Dynasty's artisan registration system, raw materials are also based on the purchase, the overall scale than the Ming Dynasty has been reduced, the important Jiangning Weaving Bureau, Suzhou Weaving Bureau and Hangzhou Weaving Bureau, collectively known as the "three weavers of Jiangnan," is responsible for the supply of the court and the official need for various types of silk fabrics. Folk silk weaving industry production scale has expanded, professional division of labor and regional division of labor more obvious, a number of prosperous silk professional towns, a wide range of products, the domestic market is booming. In terms of foreign trade, the Qing dynasty enforced the prohibition of the sea, strengthened the restrictions on foreign trade, the implementation of a mouth of commerce. Nevertheless, China's raw silk exports to Japan and raw silk and silk fabric exports to European countries still reached a considerable scale.

In 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.