This morning we visited the Waima
Wharf Silk Exhibition Hall, and I thought it was one of the most interesting
“museums” that we have visited. The silk originated in China. It's said that
Chinese started farming silkworms and making silk clothes in the early
beginning of civilization 4000 years ago. Silk manufacture was a very old
traditional industry and raw silk was one of most primary products to export.
“The silk road ” in northwest China was famous all over the world.
We first entered the hall and saw
the cocoon-making house filled with small white silk worm cocoons. There was a
basket of silk worms that were 15 days old that we could touch. Even the worm
itself is soft to the touch. The guide explained that silk worms live only 55
days from birth to death as a moths, but each worm lays 400 eggs so the short
life span does not affect the population much. The worms make cocoons either by
wrapping silk around themselves or by entangling with another silk worm and
creating a large cocoon around both worms.
Once the cocoon has been formed,
the cocoon will be boiled in order to kill the moth(s) inside because if the
moth breaks open the cocoon, then the cocoon can no longer be used for silk. A
lot of people were surprised that the moths were killed to make all of the
silk. The heated cocoon is then attached to a spinning wheel, and the silk is
unwound from the cocoon in one single thread. After the silk is all off and
only the bug is left, the silk material is then stretched and pulled to be used
for other materials. We were able to watch 4 women stretching the silk in order
to make a bed comfortable. It takes 4000-6000 cocoons to make one comforter!
The women then invited band students to help stretch the silk. The guide told
us that silk is often a prized possession because it is non-allergenic and very
easy to clean. It does not get dusty and only requires a dab of hair shampoo to
clean it well. We were then given time to shop in the gift store. They had lots
of beautiful clothes for both men and women. Many people bought silk scarves
and silk ties for themselves and family.
Erika Verburg
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