Gaoping Silk

Gaoping Silk

　　China is the homeland of silk, and its place of origin lies in Gaoping, Shanxi. Xuan Shui is the birthplace of silk reeling, located in the Xuan Valley in the mountainous northwest of Gaoping City — specifically, the Xuan Shui River that originates from the foothills of West Jue Mountain. Fan Wenlan, an early historian of New China, stated: “Gaoping was originally called Xuan County, and there is a river there called Xuan Shui. The banks of the Xuan Shui River are the birthplace of silk in China.” Gaoping silk is made from high-quality silkworm cocoons, a specialty of southeastern Shanxi. With a long history and exquisite craftsmanship, it is renowned for its four distinctive qualities: softness, sheen, suppleness, and lightness. It comes in a wide variety of types, among which Meili silk (Beautiful Silk) is considered the finest.