Chinese Sericulture and Silk Weaving

Timeline

1. 200–900Chang'an, Luoyang, and the Hexi Corridor · ChinaDuring the Han and Tang, sericulture areas expanded to the Yangtze River basin, reeling and weaving became more specialized, and silk circulated westward as currency and tribute along the Silk Road, establishing China's tradition of silk exports.
2. 1551–1560Huzhou and Jiaxing sericulture area · HuzhouDuring the Jiajing era, mulberry orchards in Jiangnan expanded, with household sericulture coexisting with town-based reeling workshops; raw silk, silk floss, and satin supplied imperial weaving and smuggled maritime trade, forming a tight economic cycle with silver inflows.
3. 1570–1840Guangzhou and Zhangzhou foreign trade ports · South ChinaFrom the late Ming to the early Qing, silk was exported to Japan, Manila, and Europe through ports such as Yuegang and Guangzhou, and Chinese silk-weaving techniques influenced Southeast Asian weaving through trade and migration.