In Wujiang, the pratice of planting mulberries, raising silkworms, reeling and weaving silks is an ancient, local tradition. Nearly 5000 years of archaeological evidence exists in the Lake Taihu area to suggest that Wujiang has long been a centre of silk production. Silk ribbons, silk threads and fragments of silk, some of which are 4700 years old, have been found.

 

    By the Tang Dynasty, there had been large scale silk production in Wujiang. Gusu Chronicles recorded that silk were present at all the villages, particularly in Wujiang. It became palace tribute in Tang Dynasty, the so-called Wu Silk.

 

    During Ming and Qing Dynasty, the silk industry of Wujiang developed rapidly; this is represented by the rapid expansion of Shengze at this time. There are vivid descriptions of the prosperous situation then: daily production of tens of thousand silk, providing clothes to the whole world. Shengze of Wujiang, together with Suzhou, Hangzhou, Huzhou, were called the ‘Four Silk Capitals of China’.

 

    The silk textile industry of Wujiang had established a really gigantic modernized industry and boasts the ‘No.1 Cloth Market of China’ – the Orient Silk Market.

 

    What is worth mentioning is that the clothes of the 2004 World Heritage officials and the silk nightgown of Sara Brightman, singer of the theme song at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were designed and provided by Wujiang Huajia Group.