Preface

In human life, food and clothing are the first priorities. Food is obtained from the fields, while clothing is obtained from the silkworm. Since the Lady of Xiling original: "Xiling Shi." This refers to Leizu, the legendary empress and wife of the Yellow Emperor, who is traditionally credited with inventing the silk loom and discovering sericulture. first originated this practice, as recorded in the Classics and Histories, there was no land within the world that did not grow mulberry trees, and no village that did not raise silkworms.

When cotton cotton (mumian): literally "tree-cotton," a crop that became a major competitor to silk in China during the 13th and 14th centuries due to its ease of processing. entered China, people all enjoyed the convenience of planting it, and gradually they no longer exerted their full effort in the business of silkworms. Huzhou belongs to the territory of Yangzhou as defined in the Tribute of Yu original: "Yu Gong." A chapter of the Book of Documents (Shangshu) detailing the geography of ancient China.. The nature of the soil here is not suitable for cotton. Cotton is suitable for saline land; in Huzhou, the high ground suffers from dryness and the low ground suffers from dampness, therefore it is not suitable for cotton.

Among the people here who seek a livelihood, besides working the fields, they rely solely on silkworms as their means of survival. Consequently, while the places the ancients called "the lands of silkworms and mulberry" now rarely enjoy the profits of cocoons and silk, only the silk and floss of Wuxing An ancient name for the Huzhou region. are sufficient to clothe the entire world. Although this is the result of human effort, it is also because the "vital energy of the land" original: "diqi." A concept referring to the natural environmental conditions, climate, and soil fertility of a region. has acted to bring it about.

If we examine those who have discussed sericulture since ancient times, the Book of Fan Shengzhi An agricultural manual from the 1st century BCE Han Dynasty. is the most ancient. Aside from this, works such as the Essential Techniques for the Peasantry original: "Qi Min Yao Shu." A 6th-century comprehensive agricultural text., various Silkworm Classics and Silkworm Books, as well as the Fundamentals of Agriculture and Sericulture original: "Nong Sang Ji Yao." An official manual compiled during the Yuan Dynasty (13th-14th century)., have all been detailed and complete. However, these were all limited to the regions of the Northwest and were not practiced in the Southeast. When applied to the customs of Huzhou, there are points that are vastly different. My...