Former Site of Suzhou Weaving Office

Former Site of Suzhou Weaving Office

The Former Site of Suzhou Weaving Office is a Major National Historical and Cultural Site.

Era: Qing Dynasty

Address: Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province

The Suzhou Weaving Office was one of the “Three Weaving Offices of Jiangnan.” It was designated as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1981, and listed as part of the seventh group of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in March 2013.

As the western garden of the Suzhou Weaving Office, this area served as the imperial palace’s back garden. During Emperor Kangxi’s six southern inspection tours, both he and his grandson stayed at the western garden during their visits to Suzhou. The weaving commissioner Cao

Yin (grandfather of Cao Xueqin) had a mother who was the wet nurse to Emperor Kangxi, and young Cao Yin also accompanied Kangxi in his studies in the palace. The western garden of the Suzhou Weaving Office functioned as an imperial residence for an extended period, essentially becoming a royal garden. The Ruiyun Peak within the garden is also one of the famed Taihu rocks in Jiangnan gardens, celebrated as “the most exquisitely crafted in Jiangnan.”

Suzhou has been one of China’s “Four Great Silk Capitals” since ancient times, known for its thriving silk industry and regarded as one of the nation’s silk production hubs, earning the title “Home of Silk.” To meet the needs of the imperial court, the court established a weaving bureau in Suzhou starting from the Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, eunuchs oversaw weaving operations. In 1646 (the third year of the Shunzhi reign), a weaving bureau—also called the General Weaving Bureau—was built. In 1674 (the thirteenth year of the Kangxi reign), it was renamed the Weaving Office, also referred to as the Weaving Ministry or Weaving Bureau, and managed by officials dispatched from the Imperial Household Department.

According to historical records, the Suzhou Weaving Office, along with those in Jiangning and Hangzhou, were collectively known as the “Three Weaving Offices of Jiangnan.” In 1684 (the twenty-third year of the Kangxi reign), an imperial palace was built on the west side of the Weaving Office, serving as the “residence for imperial tours to the south.” The original Weaving Office was grand in scale, with complete facilities including halls, gardens, workshops, and official residences, covering a vast area. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed by fire in 1860 (the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign). Although it was rebuilt in the tenth year of the Tongzhi reign, it failed to restore its former glory. The former site of the Suzhou Weaving Office still preserves the Qing Dynasty text “Records of Weaving Regulations,” as well as five stelae documenting construction during the Shunzhi, Qianlong, and Tongzhi eras. These include the remains of the imperial palace centered around Ruiyun Peak, making it the site with the most surviving relics among the “Three Weaving Offices of Jiangnan.”

Further Reading:

· Fifth Group of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Group of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites