Former Site of Xizhang Silkworm Breeding Farm

Former Site of Xizhang Silkworm Breeding Farm

The former site of the Xizhang Silkworm Breeding Farm is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province.

The Xizhang Silkworm Breeding Farm was the last remaining silkworm breeding facility in southern Jiangsu. Once the largest of its kind in Wuxi, this farm witnessed the heyday and prosperity of the sericulture industry across Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as it transitioned from traditional household and workshop-based practices to industrialized development. After three years of renovation, it has now been transformed into the Jiangnan Sericulture Museum, which opened its doors to visitors yesterday. It is open to the public and tourists free of charge, while also showcasing the new look of Wuxi’s sericultural heritage and agricultural culture landmark.

Originally named the ‘Sanwu Guan’ Silkworm Breeding Facility, the Xizhang Silkworm Breeding Farm was established in 1926 by Lu Zirong. He had three sisters and five brothers, hence the name “Sanwu Guan” (Three-Five Hall). After one year of preparation and construction, spring silkworm breeding began in the spring of 1927. Ten years later, in 1937, the facility had over 300 acres of mulberry fields, 100 silkworm-rearing rooms and auxiliary rooms, along with a 2,000-square-meter storage area for silkworms, producing up to 100,000 sheets of silkworm eggs annually.

In March 2019, the former site of the Xizhang Silkworm Breeding Farm was included in the eighth batch of cultural heritage sites protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Cultural Heritage Sites Protected at the Provincial Level in Jiangsu Province