介绍:
China is the earliest country toproduce silk. Silk is a symbol of the ancient culture of China. Legend has it that Lei Zu, wife of Emperor Huangdi, discovered the secret of wild silkworms. She began raising them and weaving silk. Chinese historians believe that the technology of silk weaving has a history of more than 4,000 years.
Silk production began to take shape in the Shang Dynasty. To the Qin and Han dynasties, silk production was in a great development.
Silk was originally used only by the Kings of China or given to others as gifts, but gradually got popular around the world.
In the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian, a famous diplomat of the time, opened up the Silk Road. The road began in the city of Chang’an, by way of Gansu, Xinjiang, leading its way to Central Asia, West Asia and then to Europe. Silk was continuously transported to the Western countries along the road. And then silk trading reached the top. The trading has promoted the economy and cultural exchange between China and other countries. The Silk Road has brought not only the beautiful clothes but also the splendid ancient Eastern civilization to the Western world.
Westerners were very fond of Chinese silk. It is said that during the first century AD, a Roman emperor went to a theater wearing clothes made of silk, which made him stand out from the audience. Since then, people wished to wear clothes made of Chinese silk. China, therefore, was called the “Silk Country”.
