The History of Silk ~ Documentary ~ Ancient China

Thanks to Carole in Virginia for giving me enough of a push to get this episode finally produced. This might have been one of the first ten topics I came up with when I began writing the original list back in 2010. The history of silk is really an amazing testament to humankind's ingenuity and the randomness of life since Neolithic times. I hope you enjoy this episode. It turned out to be a much greater story than I was ever aware of.
TERMS FROM THIS EPISODE:
Shén Nóng 神农 The Divine Farmer, god of agriculture and many other things
Qīng Dynasty 清朝 The last imperial dynasty in China - 1644-1911
Dèng Xiǎopíng 邓小平 Chairman of China Bridge Association and great Chinese leader during 20th century
Míng Dynasty 明朝 Second to the last dynasty...1368-1644
Táng 唐朝 Dynasty in China 618-907
Ānhuì 安徽 Province in China
Fújiàn 福建 Province in China
Sòng Dynasty 宋朝 Dynasty in China....960-1279
Yǎngsháo Wenhua 仰韶文化 Yangshao Culture in China..5000 to 3000 BCE more or less
Yángshuò County 阳朔县 One of the great sightseeing centers of China, near Guilin
Zhèngzhōu 郑州 City in Henan
Qīngtaí 清台村 Village in the northwest corner of Zhengzhou on the south bank of the Yellow River
Huāxià 华夏 The collective tribes that made up ancient core Han Chinese civilization
Xià County 夏县 County in south Shanxi on the border with Henan
Shānxī province 山西省 Province in China
Qiánshānyàng 钱山漾 town at the south end of Lake Tai near Húzhōu
Shāng Dynasty 商朝 China's first "official dynasty," lasted from 1600 to 1046 BCE
Huángdì 黄帝 The Yellow Emperor
Xī Líng Shì 西陵氏 The discoverer of silk and the primary wife of the Yellow Emperor
Léi Zǔ 嫘祖 Other name of Xi Ling Shi by which she is more commonly known
Cán Nǎinai 蚕奶奶 The Goddess of Silkworms
Cán 蚕 a silk-worm
Kǒngfūzǐ 孔夫子 Confucius
Shǐ Jì 史记Records of the Grand Historian
Lǐ Jì 礼记 Book of Rites
nǚgōng 女红 the feminine arts
Sūzhōu 苏州 City in Jiangsu Province
Nánjīng 南京 Capital city of Jiangsu province
Chéngdū 成都 The capital city of Sichuan province
Zhāng Qiān 张骞 Great Western Han Dynasty adventurer, instrumental in getting the Silk Road up and running
Hàn Wǔdì 汉武帝 Great Western Han Dynasty emperor
Wǔyí Mountains 武夷山 Mountains in northern Fujian where some of the best tea in the world comes from
Hétián 和田 Formerly called Khotan...a great trading kingdom in present day Xinjiang
Jìn Dynasty 晋朝 Dynasty in China: 265-420 CE
Suí 隋朝 Dynasty in China from 581-618
Cháng'ān 长安 Present day Xian in Shaanxi Province
Qiánlóng 乾隆 Emperor during the heyday of the Qing Dynasty, 1735-1796
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