Cansi Weaving Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
In the Tang dynasty, Luzhou (present-day Changzhi, Shanxi) was the largest handicraft silk-weaving center in northern China, and Lu silk (Luchou) took its name from its place of origin. According to the Book of Sui, "In Changping and Shangdang, the people largely engaged in farming and sericulture…" By the mid-Ming period, the six counties of Luzhou had planted more than 80,000 mulberry trees, and by the Hongzhi reign the number had reached over 90,000.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Lu-silk weaving craft is a sericulture technique unique to Shanxi Province. The craft is mainly distributed across Gaoping City, Zezhou County, Yangcheng County, and Qinshui County in Jincheng City, as well as Changzhi County and Tunliu County in Changzhi City, with villages such as Wangjiang, Nangou, Nanzhuang, Nanzhuzhuang, Dafengzhuang, and Xiaofengzhuang in Gaoping City forming its core area. The Lu-silk weaving process uses twisted silk for the warp and plied silk with different twist directions for the weft, producing a thin, crinkled flat crepe, and can also weave a glossy, mirror-like ling (damask) bearing floral motifs. Its most prominent varieties are zhuanghua (embroidery-like decorative weave) and multicolored brocade patterns, with red, black, yellow, and blue as the dominant colors—offering both the sharp contrast of red against blue and the close tones of black and grey. The Lu-silk weaving process is divided into steps such as grading raw material, soaking and softening the silk, reeling, winding, and warping, and employs different wooden looms—small looms, large looms, and multi-heddle multi-treadle looms—to produce different fabrics. Its design is premised on utility: whether for clothing, sutra covers, pillow ends, or table skirts, the size, shape, and pattern are based on actual function while striving for elegance and refinement. Its conception takes traditional auspicious meanings as its main thread, expressing such traditional themes as fortune, prosperity, longevity, and happiness. At its peak in the Changping–Shangdang area, there were more than 13,000 looms. The Ming government once established a Weaving Bureau in Luzhou to specifically supervise the production, allocation, transport, and tribute delivery of Lu silk. At its zenith, Lu silk was sold far and wide at home and abroad, giving rise to the historical saying, "Songjiang in the south, Lu'an in the north—clothing the world." China is the birthplace of silk and a great silk nation of the world; Shanxi's Lu silk represents the heyday of the province's silk industry, its once-flourishing imprint clearly visible. The Lu-silk weaving craft displays a strong northern character and a distinctive regional style, carrying profound and complex cultural meanings of aesthetics and custom, and embodying the splendid glory of Chinese silk culture.
Archived Process-Step Records
The Lu-silk weaving process is divided into steps such as grading raw material, soaking and softening the silk, reeling, winding, and warping, and employs different wooden looms—small looms, large looms, and multi-heddle multi-treadle looms—to produce different fabrics.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Lu-silk weaving centers on southeastern Shanxi. The Gaoping–Zezhou–Yangcheng–Qinshui belt once belonged to the old six counties of Luzhou, and the Changzhi–Tunliu area was also part of the production region; today it is concentrated in villages such as Wangjiang, Nangou, Nanzhuang, Nanzhuzhuang, Dafengzhuang, and Xiaofengzhuang in Gaoping City, plus the single workshop of Shanxi Jili'er Lu Silk Group Weaving Co., Ltd. Lu silk is woven thin and crinkled, or glossy like a mirror with floral motifs; zhuanghua and multicolored brocade patterns are its most prominent varieties, with red, black, yellow, and blue as the dominant colors—a strong red-blue contrast and close black-grey tones. At its height in the Changping–Shangdang area there were over 13,000 looms, and the Ming government also set up a Weaving Bureau in Luzhou to oversee production, allocation, transport, and tribute. In recent years, local inheritors have been gathering surviving Lu-silk objects, historical records, and related artifacts to revive this craft.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Cansi Weaving Craftsmanship · Cansi Weaving Craftsmanship · Cansi Weaving Craftsmanship · Cansi Weaving Craftsmanship · Cansi Weaving Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
In recent years, local inheritors have collected physical materials, historical documents, and artifacts related to Lu-silk weaving, and are gradually reviving this craft.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhou Kangming 03-1357
- Yu Caigen 05-2795
- Shao Guanxing 05-2796
- Gu Mingqi 05-2797
- Hong Guizhen
- Zheng Xiaohua
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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