Why were the Chinese so careful about the secret of silk?

Why were the Chinese so careful about the secret of silk?

Why do you think they so carefully guarded the secret of how to produce silk? Silk was in demand but difficult to produce and, therefore, valuable. The Chinese guarded the secret to control production and keep the profits. Their trade depended on silk and they did not want to lose trading power.

Why was silk a valuable good for China?

4. China Generated Wealth and Developed Economically. Silk and porcelain were the two bestselling products over the centuries of the Silk Road trade. Silk was the most valuable export on the Silk Road since it was light, easy to transport, and was said to be worth its weight in gold during the Roman era.

Why did wearing silk mean you were wealthy?

Merchants and peasants were not allowed to wear silk. Silk was even used as money during some Ancient Chinese dynasties. Silk became a prized export for the Chinese. Nobles and kings of foreign lands desired silk and would pay high prices for the cloth.

Does China have silk?

China is the world’s largest and earliest silk producer. The vast majority of Chinese silk originates from the mulberry silkworms (Bombyx mori). Non-mulberry silkworms cocoon production in China primarily focuses on wild silk from the Chinese Tussah moth (Antheraea spp.).

How did silk get out of China?

The West finally cracked the secret in 552 CE when the Byzantine emperor Justinian sent two Nestorian monks to central Asia. The monks hit the eggs in their hollow bamboo staves. The eggs hatched into worms which then spun cocoons.

Is the Silk Road still around today?

In the 13th and 14th centuries the route was revived under the Mongols, and at that time the Venetian Marco Polo used it to travel to Cathay (China). Part of the Silk Road still exists, in the form of a paved highway connecting Pakistan and the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China.

What are 5 interesting facts about silk?

Here are 12 fascinating facts about silk and its culture in China.

• Silk spawned the longest ancient trade routes – the Silk Road.
• China is the world’s largest silk producer.
• Silk has profoundly influenced Chinese fashion.
• Silk was reputedly discovered in a cup of tea.
• Silk is still made the same way it always has been.

Who created silk?

China
According to Chinese myth, sericulture and the weaving of silk cloth was invented by Lady Hsi-Ling-Shih, the wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor who is said to have ruled China in about 3,000 BC. Hsi-Ling-Shi is credited with both introducing sericulture and inventing the loom upon which silk is woven.

How did China discover silk?

Chinese folklore holds that silk was discovered in the 27th century BC when a cocoon fell from a mulberry tree into the teacup of the Chinese Emperor’s wife. She watched the cocoon unravel, revealing a long delicate thread.