中國(guó)絲綢以其品種繁多而聞名于世，包括絲織品、緞子、絲薄紗、雙縐、麻紗、生 絲、喬其紗、立絨、絲繡和印花絲。因?yàn)橘|(zhì)地上好，工藝精美,中國(guó)絲綢在遠(yuǎn)東地區(qū)最 上乘的紡織品中獨(dú)占鰲頭。
Chinese silk is known throughout the world for its numerous varieties, which include silk fabric, satin, damask, silk gauze, crepe silk, tough silk, raw silk，georgette crepe， velvet, as well as embroidered silk and printed silk. Because of its fine texture and exquisite workmanship，Chinese silk has often been singled out as being among the finest textiles produced in the Far East.
China was the first country in the world to manufacture and use silk. The importance of its place in Chinese culture is evident from the legend that LeiZu, the wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor （Huang Di），first taught the Chinese people the art of sericulture.
Although this is only a legend, archaeologists have discovered a partially unraveled silk cocoon among the New Stone Age relics unearthed at a site at Xiyin Village, in Shanxi Province.
During the Shang Dynasty （ (c. 16th-11th centuries BC）) there were already government sponsored silk production workshops. By the time of the Zhou Dynasty （ (c. 11th century-771 BC)） the production of silk had spread as far as the Hansui River, Huanhe River and Yangtze River valleys. At the time, the Chinese were producing splendid silks with subtle designs woven into the fabric as well as silk decorated with colored embroidery. This was soon followed by the invention of silk gauze and brocade silk. By the time of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods （(770 - 221 BC), silk was being manufactured throughout China. Considerable progress had been made in weaving and dyeing techniques.
唐朝（618—907年）時(shí)，絲綢制作工藝進(jìn)一步發(fā)展，絲制品更為華美精致。到了清 代（1644—1911年），絲制品大量增加，浙江產(chǎn)的絲綢贏得了極高的贊譽(yù)。
During the Tang Dynasty ( 618 - 907 ) further advances were made in silk manufacturing, resulting in even more delicate and exquisite products. By the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644 — 1911 )，silk production greatly increased, and the silk of Zhejiang Province enjoyed an especially high reputation.
Since ancient times, silk has been one of China’s traditional exports. Fine Chinese silks were first exported during the Western Han Dynasty in the second century B. C. . A portion of the exports was shipped to Korea and Japan，but the majority was shipped along the famous caravan route known as the Silk Road, eventually reaching Western Europe.
China’s geography and climate are well-suited for the cultivation of mulberry and oak trees (the leaves of these trees being the natural food of two types of silkworms) , and China has numerous mulberry and oak sericulture farms.
Traditionally, the principal centers of China’s sericulture industry are the plains surrounding Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province, the Sichuan basin, the Zhujiang River delta and the Liaodong Peninsula. From ancient times, China has been the world’s leading producer of silk and silkworm cocoons. However, in the 20th century in the several decades prior to liberation, the sericulture industry entered a period of drastic decline and silk production greatly decreased. After the establishment of New China, the silk and sericulture industries were revived and underwent a period of rapid development. At present, facilities for manufacturing silk can be found throughout China and exports of raw and finished silk have regained first place in the world.
China currently produces several hundred varieties of silk in thousands of colors and designs. These silk products have found ready markets in more than 100 countries and regions in the world.
