Because 2 days is never enough.

Silk was first created in China between 6000 BC - 3000 BC, so it only made sense for Erik and I to visit a silk factory while we traveling in China this March. The silk factory and mini-museum we visited was in Suzhou, which has been an important center for the Chinese silk industry since the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD).

Silk comes from the larva of the bombyx mori moth (silkworm), which feeds almost exclusively on mulberry tree leaves.

The silk strand is generated from a filament spun into a cocoon by the silkworm and can be up to 600 meters in length. The strand is attached to a large machine that “unwinds” the cocoon and then “rewinds” the strands into a spool like thread. The machine typically unwinds and rewinds about 8 cocoons at a time.

The spool of silk thread is then woven into cloth by large looms that create patterns from punch cards.

Suzhou is also home to classical gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Suzhou Museum designed by native-son IM Pei.

View all of our China/Japan photos>