Chinese Silk

You must have heard about silk.Silk is a natural piece of protein badass fibre, some forms of which can be woven into textiles.

The protein fibre of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colors(A silk tour to China).

History of Chinese Silk

Silk has its origins in Chinese history. Ancient artifacts of silk production have been found in Neolithic Chinese sites dating back more than 5000 years. Sanxingdui archaeological findings demonstrate ancient Shuzhou people had mastered silkworm domestication and silk production. The earliest embroidery in China was found in Henan Province from the Shang Dynasty. Silk paintings and embroidery discovered in China prove that more than 3000 years ago there was wonderful silk in vibrant colors and veiled designs. The earliest silk embroidery was discovered in a tomb in Mashan in Hubei province from the Zhanguo period (5th-3rd centuries BCE.)

Legend about the Origin of Chinese Silk

According to an ancient Chinese legend, the Silkworm Goddess appeared to the Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of the Chinese people, after he vanquished his adversary Chi You. She presented him with silk fibers spun from her own mouth as a sign of respect. The Yellow Emperor ordered the fibers woven into cloth and made into silk apparel, which he found exceedingly soft and comfortable. His wife, Lei Zu of the Xiling clan, searched until she found a type of caterpillar capable of spinning silk fibers from its mouth. She raised these silkworms by feeding them mulberry leaves she picked herself. Later generations came to worship Lei Zu as the Silkworm Goddess, and the Yellow Emperor as the God of Weaving. Sericulture, including cultivating the mulberry plant, raising silkworms, and producing silk fabric, has been an essential form of labor in China throughout the millennia.

The making of silk

The making of silk generally refers to the process of dividing raw silk from cocoons into strands horizontally and vertically, before weaving them together into pieces of fabric.

The actual manufacture processes of various silks vary, but can be generally categorized into two types: sheng zhi and shu zi.

In the sheng zhi process, weavers weave the raw silk into fabrics first, and then scour (clean) and bleach the fabrics. This process, which has lower costs and a shorter process, is currently the major way of making silk.

In the shu zhi method, weavers scour and bleach the longitude and latitude silks from cocoons first before actually weaving them. The woven products no longer need further processing and can be directly used. The method is usually used to produce advanced silk fabrics like brocade.

Before the silk is woven, a lot preparations need to be done beforehand, like soaking the raw silk to soften the product. Meanwhile, as silk is very apt to absorb moisture, to make the silk damp-proof is very important before the weaving.

In terms of the silk pattern, the weaving methods can be generally divided into the common and jacquard methods. The former refers to the flat silk fabrics that have no weaved patterns, while the latter refers to the fabrics that are usually done by a jacquard loom (a loom that is mechanized to weave specific patterns).

When the silk fabrics are ready, the next step is the dyeing process (which is crucial in the whole procedure of making colorful and beautiful silk). With the dyeing technologies, the raw silk can be turned into flawless silk with patterns and colors to people's desire.

In ancient China, once the cloth had been weaved, embroidery was used to give the cloth its delicate, often brilliant patterns. The Four Renowned Embroideries of China were regional in their origin: Su embroidery originated from East China's Jiangsu Province; Yue embroidery originated from South China's Guangdong Province; Xiang embroidery originated from Central China's Hunan Province; and Shu embroidery originated from Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Silk Road

The Silk Road is a historically important international trade route between China and the Mediterranean. Because silk comprised a large proportion of trade along this road, in 1877, it was named 'the Silk Road' by Ferdinand von Richthofen, an eminent German geographer.

Route: This ancient road begins at Chang'an (now Xian(A tour to Xi'an)), then by way of the Hexi Corridor, and it reaches Dunhuang(A tour to Dunhuang), where it divides into three, the Southern Route, Central Route and Northern Route.

Scenery along the Road: The scenery and sights along the Silk Road are spectacular and intriguing. There are well-known Mogao Caves (Mogao Grottoes) in Dunhuang, the bustling Sunday Bazaar in Kashgar and exotic customs in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and more …

There are all kinds of tour plans for traveling the world-famous road. Our tour guide provides many tour lines for visitors to experience the adventures of this ancient trade road. Welcome to travel to China!

This article is from www.chinatourcenter.com.