Silk Production

Timeline

1. c. -1000–-850Haojing · ShaanxiThe Western Zhou royal house set up dedicated offices such as the 'silkworm room' to manage sericulture and reeling; mulberry orchards and the silkworm cycle were incorporated into the calendar and ritual system. Texts such as the 'Odes of Bin - July' in the Book of Songs record the seasonal rhythm of sericulture at the time, showing that silk production had become an important sector of the state economy.
2. c. -850–-700Qi-Lu sericulture region · ShandongFrom the late Western Zhou to the early Spring and Autumn period, reeling (boiling cocoons to draw silk) and primitive backstrap-loom weaving matured, capable of producing plain silk and simply patterned textiles; regions such as Qi became major silk-producing centers thanks to abundant mulberry and silkworm resources, and silk began to be used as gifts and tribute among the lords.
3. c. -700–-500Central Plains-Jianghan corridor · ChinaDuring the Spring and Autumn period, frequent interstate contacts saw silk, as a valuable commodity, participate in alliances, diplomatic visits, and trade exchanges; excavated silk fragments show that relatively advanced weaving and dyeing techniques had been mastered, and Chinese silk began to spread to surrounding regions.