Chinese Silk
The cultivation of the silkworm can be traced back to the 3rd century BC. According to Chinese legend, Demigod Leizu, wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor Huangdi, started the planting of mulberry trees and raise of silkworms as early as 5000 years ago. 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 most common methods to identify real silk are handling, eye observation, inflammation and chemical coloring. When come to China, many visitors would like to buy some souvenirs. The smooth silk product is certainly the best choice. Before buying them, it is always wise to learn the common sense of the silk product including the function, identification and maintenance.
For more than two thousand years the Chinese kept the secret of silk to themselves. It was the most zealously guarded secret in history. From 138 B.C. to 126 B.C., Zhang Qian started his diplomatic mission under imperial order to the west along the famous Silk Road. Gradually, sericulture and silk production techniques spread to many countries. Eventually, however, with increased travels and trading, the secret of sericulture reached Korea just before the dawn of A.D., to Japan in the 4th century, to India in the 6th century and to Europe in the 7th century. Nowadays, Chinese silk still enjoys high reputation in the world. Although 35 countries around the world can produce silk, China still ranks first, accounting for 50 percent of the total output. My Questions *We welcome and appreciate your questions & reviews
