Shengze Silk

Shengze Silk

　　Flipping through the history of Shengze, one can hardly find anything other than two characters — silk. If we liken the history of Shengze to a river, then what flows through this long river is the culture of silk. It could be said that the history of Shengze is a chronicle of the development of silk.

　　The ancestors of Shengze once created the glory of “producing tens of thousands of bolts of silk daily, clothing the whole nation,” enabling this remote rural town to rise among China’s Four Great Silk Capitals. Today, the 150,000 people of Shengze have taken up the torch of development passed down from their predecessors. Year after year, through relentless effort, they are creating new glories for the Silk Capital.

　　Shengze silk not only stands out for its massive production but is also renowned worldwide for its exceptional quality. In 1962, the Meili silk produced by the Xinsheng Silk Mill won first place in a national evaluation. Since then, Shengze silk has repeatedly earned accolades and has been highly favored by peers both domestically and internationally. In 1983, at a national silk product evaluation held in Hangzhou, four real silk products produced by the Xinsheng, Xinhua, Xinlian, and Xinmin silk mills and the Wujiang Dyeing Factory all won first place, stunning the entire national silk industry. The Zhejiang Daily published three consecutive editorials in high praise. In subsequent national quality award evaluations, Shengze silk products went on to win three gold awards and four silver awards, earning worldwide renown. Today, the variety of Shengze silk has expanded from traditional mulberry silk to include four major categories: mulberry silk, blended silk, rayon, and synthetic fiber, encompassing hundreds of types. About 70% of the products are sold to international markets through various channels. Shengze Town has been ranked among the top five towns in China’s township enterprises for export earnings for six consecutive years. The export volume of real silk accounts for one-sixth of the national total, making Shengze a major domestic silk export base.

　　Silk trade once wrote a glorious chapter in the history of Shengze’s development, but it fell silent for a time under the planned economy system, and the former “Zhuangmian” (silk trading market) disbanded as it lost its role as a specialized market. After the reform and opening-up, as the market economy became increasingly active, the “East Silk Market” emerged. Over the past fifteen years, the market has continuously grown and developed into a fully functional silk trade center that is specialized, comprehensive, technical, and open. Currently, the market houses over 2,000 silk businesses from across the country, with an annual transaction volume exceeding 13 billion yuan, ranking it among the top ten specialized markets in China. Looking around the main streets of the town, silk businesses abound and silk products are displayed in dazzling variety. No wonder people say the entire town is one big market — truly a gathering of merchants from all directions, a convergence of silks from near and far, bustling with traffic and teeming with activity, recreating the prosperous scene of “a marketplace formed by the water town, with silks and satins traveling to the Central Plains.” Shengze has become a major distribution hub for silk products in China.

　　The rapid development of the silk industry embodies the lifelong dedication of several generations. This includes entrepreneurs who have painstakingly managed their businesses, scientists and technicians who have devoted themselves to research and overcome numerous technical challenges, and ordinary workers who have toiled day and night beside their machines. It is especially proud to note that in the late 1950s, a group of female silk weavers from the silk mill emerged, earning titles such as National Model Workers and Skilled Operators. From Hong Jinfeng, Qian Fuzhu, Lu Hua, and Wu Fengying to Jin Shunzhu, the legacy has been passed down through the generations.

　　The renaissance of the silk industry has driven the economic prosperity of Shengze. The area of the Shengze town proper has expanded from 2 square kilometers at the founding of the People’s Republic of China to 16 square kilometers. The town roads now form a major framework of “one ring, one longitudinal, and two transverse” routes. The 14.8-kilometer-long ring road around the town is wide and flat, and along its sides lies the Shengze Economic Development Zone, where the hum of weaving machines from over 100 silk mills showcases the spectacular sight of “the sound of looms reaching for miles.” At the bustling commercial areas where Shunhu Road and Shunxin Road intersect like a cross, shops line up in rows. The town’s 16 hotels are brightly lit and filled with guests. Over 400 taxis, nearly a thousand private cars, as well as large and small trucks transporting silk and swarms of bicycles, weave through the streets, filling them to capacity. The No. 13 bus route connects all the communities and administrative villages throughout the town. In the freight center located west of the market, 31 freight lines extend to dozens of provinces and cities across the country, swiftly and safely delivering silk goods for merchants to their destinations.

　　Shengze, this vibrant Silk Capital, is using its achievements to paint a bright future for China’s silk industry.