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Sericulture--the development of silk and silk weaving--has a long and honored tradition in China. According to Chinese legend, Lei Zu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor, was believed to have discovered how to unwind the thread from the silkworm cocoon and weave it into silk fabric at the beginning of the 3rd millennium B.C. She was still worshipped into the Qing dynasty, and even today is regarded as the "goddess of silkworms."

Archaeological evidence supports the theory that Chinese sericulture began as early as 5,000 years ago. By the Han dynasty (206 B.C.- 220 A.D.), silk had become an important product for commercial export, and by the 1rst century B.C. had reached imperial Rome, via the trade route known as the "Silk Road."

The success of the Chinese silk industry was aided by the development of an improved loom during the Han dynasty, and by introductions like the kesi (tapestry weaving) technique, first used during the Tang dynasty (618-907). Sophisticated looms introduced during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) required two or three operators, and produced elegant brocades. These innovations and the full range of embroidery stitches developed over the centuries contributed to the climax of the Chinese textile industry during the Qing dynasty.

It took an average of eight years to complete one dragon robe, which incorporated over six million stitches.

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