1982 The silk unearthed from Mashan Warring States Tomb in Jiangling, Hubei Province shows that hand-woven fabrics were already available in China as early as the 4th century BC (see color map). Since 1589, when Englishman W. Li Faming bought the first knitting machine for knitting socks, the knitting production gradually changed from manual to semi-mechanized. After the industrial revolution, mechanized spinning and weaving promoted the development of knitting machinery. The knitting machinery that China began to use was introduced to Shanghai and Guangzhou from abroad in the late Qing Dynasty. In the 22nd year of Guangxu reign (1896), the first underwear factory in China, Jinglun Shirt and Sock Factory, opened in Shanghai, specializing in the production of shirts, cotton sweaters and undershirts in Guangxi. Since then, knitting workshops and hosiery factories have been established and opened in major cities. During the 50-odd years from 1896 to 1949, the total number of main knitting machinery and equipment (mainly producing underwear) in China was less than 1000, and the fabrics produced were limited to a few simple varieties made of cotton, wool and silk, such as sweaters, yarn socks, sanitary shirts and pants, cotton sweaters and pants, scarves, etc. Now we can manufacture all kinds of knitting machines and produce all kinds of knitted fabrics, and develop the combination technology of weaving and weaving.