Nanyang Carpets

Nanyang Carpets

　　Thanks to the region’s rich silk production, more and more people in Nanyang are engaged in carpet making. The carpets are divided into two types: handmade and machine-woven. Handmade carpets come in two varieties: Turkish knot (also known as the “horseshoe” knot) and Persian knot (also called the “8-shaped” knot). Most carpets in Nanyang are handmade and are categorized by material into three types: silk carpets (also known as wall or hanging carpets), silk-wool blended carpets, and wool carpets.

Silk carpets can be divided into mulberry silk and tussah silk types, using mulberry and tussah silk respectively as raw materials and featuring Persian patterns. The main production areas are Xichuan, Nanzhao, and Zhenping; tussah silk carpets are primarily produced in Nanzhao.

The silk-wool blended carpet is an innovative product first developed in 1975 by Xichuan County and unique across China’s carpet industry. It combines Eastern carpet artistry with Persian style. Based on the production techniques of both pure silk and pure wool carpets, it uses high-quality local wool yarn for the carpet base and mulberry silk for the patterns. With its distinctive craftsmanship, clear motifs, and especially after being sheared flat, the base lies smooth while the patterns rise, creating a relief-like, three-dimensional effect that resembles a sculpture. It is hailed as the “pearl among carpets.”

Nanyang produces over 450 different carpet patterns, which can be grouped into four styles based on composition, motif, and color: Beijing style, Art Deco style, colorful style, and plain antique style. Nanyang carpets feature a wide variety of designs, a unique style, premium materials, durable texture, novel patterns, clear motifs, fine craftsmanship, and excellent quality, making them highly popular among consumers both at home

and abroad.