Threads of time: the living heritage of Chinese sericulture and silk-weaving
Print Edition
SMALL yet industrious, silkworms have powered the textile industry for millennia, with their origins tracing back to ancient China.
From the fragile cocoon of this tiny creature, threads were drawn so fine they reshaped fashion, trade and culture across continents.
In 2009, Chinese sericulture and silk craftsmanship were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), recognizing both their technical mastery and cultural depth.
The story of silk is as old as Chinese civilization itself. Archeologists discovered silk fragments more than 4,700 years old at the Qianshanyang site in east China’s Zhejiang Province — the earliest physical evidence of sericulture.
During the Shang Dynasty (16th century-11th century BC), oracle bone inscriptions from the Yinxu site in Henan Province recorded officials in charge of silkworm affairs, showing that silk was not merely a craft but a matter of state.
Silk’s journey stretched far beyond China’s borders. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), caravans carried bolts of silk across deserts and mountains along what became known as the Silk Road. Reaching as far as Rome in Italy, Chinese silk became a global symbol of wealth and prestige.
Later in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, production flourished in the lower Yangtze River region, with Suzhou and Hangzhou emerging as renowned centers of silk-weaving.
The UNESCO nomination was jointly put forward by Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Sichuan provinces, each with its own weaving traditions: Hangluo from Hangzhou, the shimmering Yunjin brocade of Nanjing, and the bold, colorful Shujin from Chengdu. Each style reflects the ingenuity of regional craftsmen, differing in texture, weight and design.
The craft itself requires patience and precision. Production begins with mixing and sorting cocoons from different regions to ensure consistency. Loose outer layers are stripped away, leaving only the finest shells. These are boiled to soften the filaments, preparing them for the most crucial step — reeling.
The artisans unwind the delicate strands into thread. A single misstep can snap the filament and ruin hours of work. Once reeled, the silk is regrouped, wound into skeins, dyed, and woven into cloth as light as hair yet incredibly strong.
Some fabrics went even further, incorporating gold foil, silver thread or even peacock feathers. Yunjin brocade is especially famous for twisting gold into silk threads. The fabrics were once reserved for emperors and the imperial household. At its height, the industry employed more than 100,000 workers and operated over 30,000 looms in Nanjing alone, making it the city’s largest handicraft sector.
Hangzhou, too, thrived as a silk hub, with at least thousands of households involved in the entire production chain of Hangluo making. Almost entire neighborhoods near Genshanmen were devoted to sericulture, dyeing workshops and weaving households.
For those seeking to experience this legacy today, the China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou offers a comprehensive introduction. As the largest professional museum of textiles and clothing in China and the largest silk museum in the world, it traces silk’s journey from cocoon to cloth.
Customs and traditions
Silk is not only about industry and trade; it is also a living culture.
In Zhejiang’s Deqing County, locals preserve a ritual called sao can hua di, or “sweeping the silkworm flower field.” The tradition is now listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.
Performed around the Chinese New Year and Qingming Festival, it features a woman in traditional costume singing and dancing to gong beats. Her gestures imitate the labors of sericulture: sweeping, feeding silkworms, gathering mulberry leaves and reeling silk.
Oral histories suggest the custom dates back more than a century, when farmers invited performers to ensure prosperity in the coming year.
Another major tradition is the silkworm flower temple fair, which is held in Xinshi Town of Deqing. Rooted in both historical record and legend, the fair blends ritual devotion with festive spectacle.
According to one tale, during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), Xi Shi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China, passed through the town and offered flowers to local silkworm farmers, blessing them with good harvests. Ever since, villagers have honored the Silkworm Goddess each Qingming Festival at Juehai Temple.
The fair’s highlight is the grand procession of the “silkworm flower lady,” who scatters blossoms along the way, symbolizing fertility and fortune. Streets overflow with martial arts troupes, dragon dancers and folk musicians. Lantern shows light up the night, transforming the town into a vibrant celebration of silk culture and community spirit.
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