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The glory, the mystery and the glamor of slik
April 16, 2009, Thursday
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SILK is not just a symbol of the splendor of Chinese civilization, but also of its profound contributions to the world. The history and beauty of this unique material is celebrated at the China National Silk Museum. Pan Zheng unravels the story It was a milestone in human civilization when our ancestors began dressing themselves in materials they had made themselves. Early civilizations each developed their own cloth: ancient India produced cotton; the Egyptians wore linen; the Babylonians wove fabric from wool; and the early Chinese, known to the Greek as Seres, became famed throughout the world for silk.
Silk is not just a symbol of the splendor of Chinese civilization, but also of its profound contributions to the world. But what are the origins of silk? How many different types of silk are there? What role did silk play in ancient Chinese society? All the answers to these questions can be found at the China National Silk Museum, providing visitors a deeper understanding of silk, the "Queen of Fibers."
At the foot of Yuhuang Hill and beside West Lake in Hangzhou, the China National Silk Museum is China's first national silk museum and the largest museum of its kind in the world. Spread over 3,000 square meters, it opened on February 26, 1992 and the exhibition halls were renovated in 2003.
Today the main hall exhibits the origins and development of silk, the varieties, the creation of the Silk Road and the importance of silk in ancient Chinese society. The Looms Hall and the Achievements Hall show the development of ancient looms and the incredible achievements of the country and their links with silk after the foundation of the People's Republic of China. The museum is like a history book, bringing visitors to ancient China and the fantastic world of silk.
The earliest silk can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, some 5,000 years ago. By the Shang (16th century-11th century BC) and Western Zhou dynasties (11th century-770BC), a large variety of silk fabrics were being produced, including tabby, gauze, polychrome woven silk and silk embroidery. During the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han dynasties (206 BC-220 AD), silk production and technology developed even further.
In the Tang (618-907 AD) and Song dynasties (960-1279), thriving international trade and the movement of the center of Chinese economics to the southeast brought about great changes in silk technology and production. The specialization of production in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911) resulted in a wide variety of novel woven structures and brilliantly colored patterns.
But the story of Chinese silk is not just the history of technological development. Chinese silk played a role in virtually every aspect of ancient life. It functioned as an offering to gods and spirits, as a symbol of class status, and as a form of decoration for ordinary people.
For thousands of years, silk was an indicator of identity, class and official rank in ancient China. From the Zhou Dynasty, a set of strict regulations governed the garments to be worn when carrying out sacrifices or attending audiences at court. Silk is the perfect example of how class differentiation formed an integral part of the ritualistic society of ancient China.
Yet for thousands of years, silk garments were not only worn by emperors and the aristocracy, but also by the common people.
Nowadays, Chinese people still spend their lives influenced by silk. On special occasions, like traditional festivals, births and weddings, people embroider silk gifts with messages like "good luck and may everything go as you wish" and "an abundance of riches and honor."
In the museum, visitors will not only see silk garments from different dynasties and regions, varieties of looms and some elegant small items for daily use such as pouches and wallets, but they also get a chance to make silk products with their own hands. As well there are live shows in the Looms Hall, recalling the golden ages of China's history.
The history of Chinese silk is also a story of the pursuit of beauty. Innovations in mechanical looms made the production of silk with complicated structures possible, and further advances in printing, dyeing and embroidery techniques resulted in silk textiles with extraordinary patterns and colors.
Throughout history, silk was not only a raw material used in the manufacture of clothing, but also a symbol of Chinese culture, and this museum is like a mirror, reflecting the beauty of ancient China and Chinese silk.
Address: 73-1 Yuhuangshan Rd, Hangzhou
Open: 8:30am-4:30pm
Admission: Free
Silk is not just a symbol of the splendor of Chinese civilization, but also of its profound contributions to the world. But what are the origins of silk? How many different types of silk are there? What role did silk play in ancient Chinese society? All the answers to these questions can be found at the China National Silk Museum, providing visitors a deeper understanding of silk, the "Queen of Fibers."
At the foot of Yuhuang Hill and beside West Lake in Hangzhou, the China National Silk Museum is China's first national silk museum and the largest museum of its kind in the world. Spread over 3,000 square meters, it opened on February 26, 1992 and the exhibition halls were renovated in 2003.
Today the main hall exhibits the origins and development of silk, the varieties, the creation of the Silk Road and the importance of silk in ancient Chinese society. The Looms Hall and the Achievements Hall show the development of ancient looms and the incredible achievements of the country and their links with silk after the foundation of the People's Republic of China. The museum is like a history book, bringing visitors to ancient China and the fantastic world of silk.
The earliest silk can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, some 5,000 years ago. By the Shang (16th century-11th century BC) and Western Zhou dynasties (11th century-770BC), a large variety of silk fabrics were being produced, including tabby, gauze, polychrome woven silk and silk embroidery. During the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han dynasties (206 BC-220 AD), silk production and technology developed even further.
In the Tang (618-907 AD) and Song dynasties (960-1279), thriving international trade and the movement of the center of Chinese economics to the southeast brought about great changes in silk technology and production. The specialization of production in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911) resulted in a wide variety of novel woven structures and brilliantly colored patterns.
But the story of Chinese silk is not just the history of technological development. Chinese silk played a role in virtually every aspect of ancient life. It functioned as an offering to gods and spirits, as a symbol of class status, and as a form of decoration for ordinary people.
For thousands of years, silk was an indicator of identity, class and official rank in ancient China. From the Zhou Dynasty, a set of strict regulations governed the garments to be worn when carrying out sacrifices or attending audiences at court. Silk is the perfect example of how class differentiation formed an integral part of the ritualistic society of ancient China.
Yet for thousands of years, silk garments were not only worn by emperors and the aristocracy, but also by the common people.
Nowadays, Chinese people still spend their lives influenced by silk. On special occasions, like traditional festivals, births and weddings, people embroider silk gifts with messages like "good luck and may everything go as you wish" and "an abundance of riches and honor."
In the museum, visitors will not only see silk garments from different dynasties and regions, varieties of looms and some elegant small items for daily use such as pouches and wallets, but they also get a chance to make silk products with their own hands. As well there are live shows in the Looms Hall, recalling the golden ages of China's history.
The history of Chinese silk is also a story of the pursuit of beauty. Innovations in mechanical looms made the production of silk with complicated structures possible, and further advances in printing, dyeing and embroidery techniques resulted in silk textiles with extraordinary patterns and colors.
Throughout history, silk was not only a raw material used in the manufacture of clothing, but also a symbol of Chinese culture, and this museum is like a mirror, reflecting the beauty of ancient China and Chinese silk.
Address: 73-1 Yuhuangshan Rd, Hangzhou
Open: 8:30am-4:30pm
Admission: Free
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