Beijing Shopping - Silk products

City Guide - Beijing - Shopping
Silk products from China are popular around the world and are known for their material variety and diverse colors.

The most popular silk products from China are as follows:

Shu Brocade

Shu Brocade, which is made in Sichuan, originated from Han and was most popular during the Wei, Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasties. With red as its dominant color, Shu Brocade features a variety of designs, often different kinds of flowers.

Yun Brocade

Yun Brocade was most developed during the Yuan Dynasty. It is defined by the high quality of its material, refined weaving and the wide use of gold and silver threads. This magnificence gave it the name Yun, which is Chinese for 'cloud'. Elegant Yun Brocade ultimately became a precious work of art and no longer a fabric for day-to-day wear. In the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Yun Brocade was a royal tribute.

As the unique weaving of Yun Brocade must be done by hand, it remains very expensive.

Song Brocade

Song Brocade, as the name implies, originated from the end of northern Song. Records show that a man named Mr. Ji originally used Song Brocade for the paperhanging of precious calligraphy copies. In all, there were twenty different designs of this brocade. Later, they were bought by a man who used the brocade as patterns in workshops in today's Suzhou area and it gained widespread popularity. Today, Song Brocade continues to be used mainly for paperhanging.