Dongba Silkworm Cocoons

Dongba Silkworm Cocoons

Dongba Silkworm Cocoons are a protected geographical indication product.

　　The raw silk processed from Dongba silkworm cocoons has two distinct quality characteristics: first, high cleanliness and purity; second, uniform silk fineness.

　　The Dongba Town area is located at the confluence of the Nanjiang River into the Xijiang River and is one of the birthplaces of Nanjiang culture. With a history of about 3,000 years, the Nanjiang culture—in the Nanjiang River basin—the Luoding Baifushan site from 1977 to 1983 yielded a large tomb from the Warring States period in Lingnan, unearthing a significant number of bronze artifacts from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Among them, a circular bronze mirror is particularly noteworthy, supporting the claim that Nanjiang culture has a 3,000-year history. It is said that sericulture in Dongba began with Han Chinese migrants who moved south to the Nanjiang River basin during the Han Dynasty and flourished during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. Professor Chen Wutong from the Central University for Nationalities, while studying Nanjiang culture, stated that the Nanjiang River basin was one of the earliest channels connecting the overland and maritime Silk Roads and also one of the starting ports of the maritime Silk Road. Historical records date this back to the Ming Dynasty, but by estimation, counting from the Han Dynasty, it has a history of approximately 2,000 years.

　　The protected geographical indication area for Dongba Silkworm Cocoons covers six towns along the Nanjiang River in Yunan County, Guangdong Province: Dongba Town, Liantan Town, Hekou Town, Songgui Town, Nanjiangkou Town, and Jiancheng Town.