Silk Craft Fades in Village That Clothed Emperors
Few products are as synonymous with China as silk. And for a time, no name was as synonymous with quality silk as Jili. In 1851, when the first World Expo, then called the Great Exhibition, was held in London, Jili silk was displayed by a Chinese businessman. It won gold and silver prizes handed out by Queen Victoria. The silk was later presented to her as a birthday gift.
This year, the World Expo is being held 80 miles northeast of here, in Shanghai, but Jili silk is not up for any awards....
Every home once had hand tools that the residents used to spin silk thread. In the Qing Dynasty, founded in the 17th century, Jili silk was used to fashion the clothing of the imperial court in Beijing and of the emperor himself. Now, only a single decaying factory in the area still processes silk, and the villagers raise silkworms only twice a year, a sharp drop from five times a year in the 1980s....
Villagers began producing high-quality silk at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, in the 14th century. The climate and water in Jili were ideal for sericulture, making the local silk distinctive, said Lu Shihu, a local historian in Nanxun, a nearby town. The rulers of China became familiar with Jili silk after three scholars from the area joined the Ming court, Mr. Lu said. During the Qing Dynasty, the silk was shipped north to Beijing by boat along the Grand Canal....
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This year, the World Expo is being held 80 miles northeast of here, in Shanghai, but Jili silk is not up for any awards....
Every home once had hand tools that the residents used to spin silk thread. In the Qing Dynasty, founded in the 17th century, Jili silk was used to fashion the clothing of the imperial court in Beijing and of the emperor himself. Now, only a single decaying factory in the area still processes silk, and the villagers raise silkworms only twice a year, a sharp drop from five times a year in the 1980s....
Villagers began producing high-quality silk at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, in the 14th century. The climate and water in Jili were ideal for sericulture, making the local silk distinctive, said Lu Shihu, a local historian in Nanxun, a nearby town. The rulers of China became familiar with Jili silk after three scholars from the area joined the Ming court, Mr. Lu said. During the Qing Dynasty, the silk was shipped north to Beijing by boat along the Grand Canal....