中國是絲綢的故鄉(xiāng)。栽桑、養(yǎng)蠶、繅絲、織綢是中國古代人民的偉大發(fā)明。商周時期絲綢的生產技術就已發(fā)展到相當高的水平。西漢時張騫通西域，把中原與波斯灣、地中海緊密聯(lián)系起來，開辟了中外交流貿易的新紀元。從此中國的絲綢以其卓越的品質、精美的花色和豐富的文化內涵聞名于世，成為中國文化的象征。東方文明的使者。

　　China is the home of silk. Mulberry planting, sericulture, silk reeling and thickening are all great inventions of the ancient Chinese. As early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties (1600BC-256BC), the Chinese people’s silk-weaving techniques had reached an extremely high level. During the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-25AD), Zhang Qian, an outstanding diplomat, travelled around central Asia and connected China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean, opening up a new era of Sino-foreign trade, exchange and communication. From then on, China’s silk became well known for its extraordinary quality, exquisite design and color, and abundant culture connotations. Hitherto, Chinese silk has been accepted as a symbol of Chinese culture and the emissary of oriental civilization.