Domestic silkworm silk industry

Timeline

1. 1501–1505Huzhou Prefecture · HuzhouDuring the Zhengde era, farming households in Huzhou, Jiaxing, and elsewhere raised silkworms on mulberry leaves and reeled silk; the government collected silk fabrics as tax and tribute goods. Overwintering of seed eggs, management of multivoltine strains, and division of labor in reeling workshops formed a mature industry chain, with silk output ranking among the highest in the empire.
2. 1505–1510Venice and Como · ItalyIn the early 16th century, Lombardy and the Venice region of Italy produced silk from locally raised silkworms, with workshops weaving fine brocades exported across Europe. Both ends of Eurasia maintained their own silkworm industry chains, and Chinese raw silk continued to flow into Mediterranean markets via overland and maritime trade routes.