Shaoxing Silk

Shaoxing Silk

　　　　Product Name: Silk

　　　　Place of Origin: Mainly produced in Shaoxing County, Sheng County, and Zhuji City

　　　　Product Categories: Fourteen major types including satin, damask, twill, plain weave, crepe, gauze, and mesh.

　　　　Product Features: Novel designs, rich and luxurious, with distinct layers and lifelike details. Bright colors, soft texture, even yarn, good tensile strength, high cleanliness, minimal deviation, few breaks, and a lustrous, jewel-like sheen.

　　　　Product Introduction: Shaoxing silk is mainly produced in Shaoxing County, Sheng County, and Zhuji City. Since the 1950s, Shaoxing has seen a continuous stream of rare and premium-quality silk products. The Plum Blossom brand Z/27 white raw silk produced by Sheng County Silk Mill won the National Quality Gold Award three times in 1979, 1983, and 1988. The Baochu Pagoda brand 12103 crepe de Chine from Zhuji Silk Weaving Mill and the Donghu brand H1087 moiré satin from Shaoxing Red Flag Silk Mill both received the National Quality Silver Award in 1985. By 1989, Shaoxing had nearly 300 silk enterprises, producing 1,597 tons of silk annually. In 1990, the city produced 96.3 million meters of silk fabrics. Authentic Shaoxing silk products are exported to Western Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia, as well as Hong Kong and Macau.

　　　　Product History: Shaoxing has long been known as the “Home of Silk.” As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, “promoting sericulture” was listed as one of the national policies of King Goujian of Yue. By the Tang and Song dynasties, Shaoxing’s Yue Luo, Ni Luo, and Temple Damask had gained fame across the land. The *Yueyou Bianlan* records: “In Huashe, northwest of Shaoxing, lies a hub of silk looms and a center of the silk market. Its products include spun silk and thread-spring fabrics. Xiàfāngqiáo is known for weaving patterned and plain satin brocades, which are fine, tough, and of superior quality, sold throughout the country and to various ports in Nanyang—quantities are considerable.”