China， the home of silk， was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as \"Seres\"， i.e. the \"Land of Silk\". Sericulture， or the cultivation of mulberry trees and silkworms， and the techniques of reeling， spinning， dyeing and weaving silk bers， have been practiced in China for thousands of years. Silk has long played a major role in Chinese civilization and was a key factor in the creation of the Silk Road， which linked the civilizations of East and West. Chinese silk is almost as old as Chinese civilization itself， and has evolved hand in hand with Chinese people. Today Chinese silk still continues its glorious journey.