In the ancient legend, it was Lei Zu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor, who invented sericulture. According to historical records, "Lei Zu, the daughter of Xiling family, was the imperial concubine of the Yellow Emperor, dressed in cocoons, and later generations sacrificed silkworms first". Luo fabric unearthed in Qingtai Village, Xingyang, Henan Province is the earliest silk fabric found in the Yellow River basin, dating from 5300 to 5500 years ago.

Silk unearthed in Qianshanyang, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province is the earliest and most complete silk unearthed in the Yangtze River basin, dating back to the Neolithic Age 4,200 years ago.

Silk reeling technology and its application

Silk reeling is also called silk reeling, which is to soak silkworm cocoons in hot water to spin silk. This process is reeling.

Its working procedure is to soak the selected cocoon in hot water first, and when the temperature and time are in place, the silk thread can be stirred out of the cocoon, and the temperature in the water cannot be regenerated. The master will wrap the silk thread around the round wheel with a round wheel handle, and the small one can use crutches to turn.

The drawn silk thread can be thick or thin, depending on the use. In 1930s and 1940s, it was mainly used to make reed soles (suitable for thick ones) and people used it to embroider insoles (suitable for thin ones). People dye silk thread into various colors, which is called clothing thread. Due to the prevalence of this industry, it has promoted the development of mulberry planting, sericulture, silkworm selling, silk selling, spinning, pigment distribution and other related industries. Older women still have silk thread and clothing line at home.