By Wang Weijian, People’s Daily

Silk stands as one ofChina’s foundational innovations and a defining symbol of Chinese civilization. Today, this ancient textile is undergoing a quiet revolution — transitioning from museum artifacts and luxury goods into contemporary fashion and daily essentials.

At 7 p.m. in Suzhou’s Gusu District, 1990s-born tailor Shi Yi arranges new inventory at Dashi Tailor Shop. Their winter qipaos (Cheongsam), featuring innovative down insulation within traditional silhouettes, blend elegance with practicality, resulting in constant orders.

Since 2023, the Suzhou Silk Museum has digitized textile patterns, transforming static artifacts into dynamic cultural assets. Leveraging this resource, Shi Yi reinterpreted classic motifs — cloud patterns, intertwining vines, and floral-bird designs — for modern aesthetics. This approach birthed sophisticated products: Song brocade handbags merging heritage with functionality; silk cushions elevating living spaces; notebook covers offering tactile cultural experiences. Through such innovations, ancient craftsmanship finds new relevance.

Suzhou infuse modern trends into traditional craftsmanship of silk weaving

Technology has meanwhile granted silk unprecedented resilience. At Jiangsu Huajia Silk Co., Ltd. in Shengze, Wang Yongyu, deputy general manager of Jiangsu Huajia Silk Co., Ltd (Huajia), demonstrates stain-resistant fabric by pouring red wine onto silk and effortlessly wiping it clean. “We’ve armored silk with nanoscale protection,” Wang explains, solving a centuries-old maintenance challenge.

To address silk’s wrinkling and shape retention issues, Huajia’s R&D team perfected a silk-spandex fusion. This innovation preserves silk’s natural luster, comfort, and breathability while adding elasticity and wrinkle resistance. With 5% annual revenue invested in R&D and over 180 patents secured, Huajia now exports globally.

Innovation extends to production methods. Nearby at Wujiang Dingsheng Silk Company, electronic jacquard looms — enhanced with AI-powered monitoring systems — produce intricate Song brocade. Once painstakingly woven at just 5cm daily, this luxurious textile now flows continuously with machine precision. Chairman Wu Jianhua’s innovations have increased productivity hundreds-fold, democratizing what was historically elite craftsmanship.

Beyond fabric, silk now embodies a lifestyle philosophy. In Qidu township’s 33-hectare “Landscape Mulberry Fields” eco-park, the ancient mulberry-fish pond ecosystem thrives alongside modern silkworm rearing facilities and craft workshops. Partnering with Soochow University and industry leaders, the park serves as an innovation hub.

Founder Liu Ying, whose silk enterprise previously exported to 30+ countries, explains: “After decades perfecting textiles, we now promote a ‘silk lifestyle’ — reconnecting people with sericulture heritage and nature.” Urban professionals like Xu Shasha frequent the park: “Here, city bustle fades. Time slows, and hearts find calm.” In 2025, tens of thousands visited, boosting local homestays and agricultural sales.

Suzhou infuse modern trends into traditional craftsmanship of silk weaving

The park’s founder, Liu Ying, 63, previously built a silk enterprise whose products were exported to more than 30 countries, with annual output value exceeding 100 million yuan ($14.4 million). “For decades, we focused on weaving every inch of silk well and making every garment well,” Liu said. “Now, we want to convey a ‘silk lifestyle’ rooted in sericulture culture and a return to nature.”

Xu Shasha, an urban office worker, is a regular visitor to the park. On holidays, she brings her family to relax: sipping fragrant mulberry tea, tasting sweet mulberries, enjoying silk-themed creative dishes at a restaurant in the paddy field, and taking part in intangible cultural heritage workshops such as silk weaving.

“Here, the bustle of the city fades away. Time seems to slow, and the heart finds its calm,” Xu told People’s Daily. In 2025, the park drew tens of thousands of visitors, boosting nearby homestays and driving sales of local agricultural products.

In Suzhou, the ancient wisdom of sericulture is no longer just a museum relic–it hasbecome a living economy, vibrant, thriving, breathing new life to everyday life.