Handicrafts in Chengdu

　　The city of Chengdu is well known for its traditional Shu handicrafts, including gorgeous brocades woven from millions of thin silk threads. Some of the town's other famous handicrafts include embroidery, lacquer works, silver threads, and woven bamboo crafts.

　　Shu, Yun, Song and Zhuang brocades are called China's "four famous brocades," and the Shu brocade was exported to Europe as early as the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.), along the Southern Silk Road, from Southeast Asia to India. It became a precious commodity in the Western world, the bright colors and elegant designs signifying good fortune. Zhuge Liang, chancellor of the Shuhan Kingdom (221-263 A.D.), attached great important to the production of silk brocades as a means of economic support during times of war against other kingdoms. He instituted a system to manage the commodity's production.

　　Production of Shu brocades reached a peak during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.). It was as expensive as gold and featured designs like clusters of flowers and red phoenixes. An especially famous example of the handicraft was a skirt made for Princess Anle at the command of Emperor Zhong. The brocades remained popular during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), when Chengdu established an institute to perfect the techniques of production. During the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911 A.D.), the brocades were influenced by other examples from the Yangtze River's southern bank. Some of the designs at this time included "Fangfang," "Raindrop," and "Moonlight Sparkle."

　　Nowadays, only three Qing Dynasty looms are intact across China. However, at one point there were more than 2,000 workshops and 10,000 looms in Chengdu. The traditional Shu brocade loom required two people to operate, and one lifting the threads and another weaving. Each loom was only capable of producing a few centimeters of brocade each day. The craft fascinates visitors to this day.