The ancient Greek word for China，Seres，is synonymous with silk，and the trade routes across Central Asia were named for that most prized of cloths.For centuries，silks production centered in northwest China.But with the southern shift in population during the Song Dynasty，the Lower Yangzi region became China’s major source of silk.The rise of Jiangnan（the Southern Yangtzi Delta）as a silk center after 1000 was accompanied by a gradual commercialization of silk production.
Cotton cultivation was first introduced into China around 200BC.Over the next thousand years，cotton cultivation slowly spread from the southwest border regions to Guangxi and Hainan Island.Cotton then came to Guangdong，Fujian.In spinning and weaving cotton，Chinese producer could adapt methods from hemp，silk and linen.But first they had to prepare the fiber through ginning and carding.
Huang Daopo was born in a poor family in what is today’s suburban Songjiang District of Shanghai in 1245.She became a child bride for anotherlocal family when she was only 12 years old.Unable to bear the maltreatment of the in-laws，she fled her hometown and hid in a boat anchored on the Huangpu River and was accidentally ferried to Hainan Island.She began her new life.
A homeless wanderer，she was taken in by the hospitable Li people who gave her every kind of help and taught her the craft of spinning and weaving they had developed.She settled down there for some 30 years，learning from local weaving and spinning skills.When she was getting old，Huang Daopo returned to her birthplace，bringing back to the people of her native place the more advanced skills of spinning and weaving of the Li’s.Her efforts at popularizing the craft of spinning and weaving gave a tremendous impetus to the development of the textile trade in the Songjiang Prefecture whose cotton goods were famous all over China，bringing the region the reputation of “providing every place under heaven with clothing”.
As a result，Huang’s techniques spread across the country，which also added to the great chapter of the friendship between the Li and the Han in the history.
My friends，you must be curious about the brave，smart and kind-hearted woman.Let’s go and have a good look！
