The silk fabric was first produced in ancient China and today Suzhou is dubbed as the ‘silk capital’ of the world. In ancient China, silk was a lucrative and desirable luxury item traded among the Eurasian region through the famous Silk Road. Today, Suzhou offers authentic, handmade and traditional embroidery products that are sought after by many visitors.

Suzhou is not all about buying silk, visitors has a number of attractions to enjoy during their stay. Find accommodation at Suzhou serviced apartments such as Citadines Xinghai Suzhou, which caters to travelers of every caliber.

Similar any other product in the world, you also find substitutes for silk, therefore, there are few simple tips to follow to measure the quality of silk embroidery.
– In high-quality handmade silk embroidery the threads used are as fine as1/16 of one full silk thread.
– Short stitches represent better quality, more effort and resilience compared to longer stitches.
– If the embroidery you find has dozens of hues it assures higher quality in comparison to items using a few as 10 thread of different colors
– When silk threads are used on silk satin with more layers to provide visual depth, it indicated the quality of the handmade work

To shop for silk during your stay in Suzhou you can try the Qian Tai Xiang Silk Shop in Guanqian Street, Huanghou Choudu Shop in Renmin Road and the Silk Shops at Shiquan Street. However finding authentic, handmade silk does take some effort and if you know someone who can figure out the difference, then take him or her along. You can also check out the Silk Museum in Suzhou, which shows the history of silk production and Suzhou embroidery from around 2000 BC.

 

Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+