Editor's note: China has a long history of cultivating silkworms and producing silk, which can be traced back 3,000 to 4,000 years. In 2009, sericulture, along with its related techniques and practices, was included on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

China has a long history of rearing silkworms and making silk. Its traditional sericulture, along with its related techniques and practices, used to be the pillar industry in many regions in the eastern and southwestern parts of the country. It remains vital in some places today.

This significance is particularly evident in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Sichuan provinces, where silk-making techniques and related traditions have a history of 3,000 to 4,000 years. This rich heritage has produced many exquisite silk products as well as a unique local culture.

This uniqueness mirrors local people's contemplation on the ephemeral nature of human existence and their industriousness. The life of a silkworm is often paralleled with human life. For example, the entire lifecycle of a silkworm spans only six to eight weeks, while a human's life is also considered short in certain contexts and, therefore, should be treasured. During its short life, a silkworm transitions through four major phases: from an egg to a worm, then a cocoon, and finally a moth. The progression reflects the different stages of human life, ranging from the innocence of infancy to the burdened maturity of adulthood. More importantly, silkworms tirelessly spin silk until their dying breath, symbolizing a lifelong devotion to society.

This unique culture has nourished generations of local silk farmers, inspiring them to pursue excellence with a diligent spirit. Through their hard work, ancient sericulture, along with its related techniques and practices, has been passed down and refined within families or workshops.

Gardeners know how to better cultivate mulberry seedlings, as well as how to graft, trim or water a tree. Similarly, silkworm raisers have inherited proven methods to breed silkworm eggs, select and rear worms, and adjust room humidity and temperature to ensure the worms' health. Silk workers are adept at preserving and sorting cocoons, reeling silk, and using looms with multifunctional treadles to weave fabrics in new or traditional patterns.

Thanks to these craftsmen's hard work and their time-tested skills, China's high-quality silk products, almost unique to the country, have been sold across the nation and exported to other countries since as early as the Qin (221-207 B.C.) and Han (202 B.C.-220 A.D.) dynasties. The trade both improved ancient people's living standards and contributed to the connection between China and the world through the ancient Silk Road. 

Along with inherited techniques, folk arts and customs related to silk culture have also been preserved by local people as an integral part of their lives. Near the beginning of every lunar new year, silkworm farmers would invite storytellers to share stories of the Silkworm Goddess to ward off evils and ensure a good harvest. In April, female silkworm farmers would wear flowers made of silk and make harvest offerings during the Silkworm Flower Festival.

Nowadays, silk products are seen everywhere in the forms of clothes, purses, scarves, bedding, umbrellas, fans, books, and various decorations. Silk-themed art shows and fashion weeks are frequently held around the world. In China, silk products are also presented as national gifts to foreign dignitaries and friends.

On Feb. 16, 2024, a painting on a silk scarf was showcased at an exhibition in Athens, Greece. The artwork, "The Dance of Spring," was created by Greek contemporary artist Sofia Fotiadou. She initially painted on canvas and then reproduced her work on silk, aiming to express her understanding of the special connection between Greece and China, two countries with ancient civilizations.

Discover more treasures from China on UNESCO's ICH list:

• 2022: Traditional tea processing

• 2020: Wangchuan ceremony, taijiquan

• 2018: Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa

• 2016: Twenty-four solar terms

• 2013: Abacus-based Zhusuan

• 2012: Training plan for Fujian puppetry performers

• 2011: Shadow puppetry, Yimakan storytelling

• 2010: Peking opera, acupuncture and moxibustion, wooden movable-type printing, watertight-bulkhead technology of Chinese junks, Meshrep

• 2009: Yueju opera, Xi'an wind and percussion ensemble, traditional handicrafts of making Xuan paper, traditional firing techniques of Longquan celadon, Tibetan opera, sericulture and silk craftsmanship

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