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The Discovery of Silk
Legend has it that silk was first discovered in China by Empress Si Ling Chi. The story says that the Empress was relaxing under a mulberry tree, enjoying a cup of tea. A silkworm cocoon fell from the tree and landed in her tea cup. As she removed it the fine thread started to unravel.
The secret of Princess Si Ling Chi’s discovery was jealously guarded by the Chinese for hundreds of years. It was considered the cloth of the gods and emperors and produced great wealth within the country. The secret to silk production lasted so long because of the threat of severe punishment. Anyone found guilty of selling or transporting silkworms, cocoons or mulberry trees was put to death.
Another legend tells of how the secret eventually escaped the bounds of China. Apparently another Chinese princess who married an Indian prince in the first century A.D. smuggled silkworm out of the country in her headdress and fed the caterpillars on leaves of mulberry trees in India.
With time, the knowledge spread throughout Asia. Fragments of silk 3,000 years old have been found among the ruins in Baan Chiang, northeast Thailand. Thai silk and Laos silk production has developed over time to become one of the most distinctive types of silk.