China has been producing silk for 5,000 years. The Silk Road existed because of it. The silk weaving tradition of Suzhou is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The problem for travelers is that the word ‘silk’ is applied to synthetic fabrics throughout Chinese tourist markets with an enthusiasm for misleading labeling. The tests below will tell you in 10 seconds which one you are holding. For the full shopping context: China Shopping Guide.
How to Test Silk Before Buying
The burn test (most reliable)
Pull 3 to 4 threads from an inconspicuous seam. Hold them with tweezers or fold them in foil and light them. Real silk: smells like burnt hair. Ash crumbles to grey powder. Synthetic: smells like burning plastic. Leaves hard dark beads. Most vendors in legitimate shops will allow a thread test if asked politely. At market stalls, test the stall samples rather than the product itself.
The feel test
Real silk warms to body temperature when held in the palm. Synthetic fabric remains at ambient temperature. Real silk has a natural, slightly rough texture when rubbed against itself. Synthetic silk is uniformly smooth. This test is less definitive than the burn test but gives a quick first filter.
The price test
A genuine silk scarf of reasonable quality (90 x 90 cm, mulberry silk) costs a minimum of ¥150 to produce at source. Any seller offering ‘genuine silk scarves’ below ¥100 is not selling genuine silk. The only exception is damaged or defect stock clearance, which occasionally happens at end-of-day markets.
Where Suzhou Silk Comes From
Suzhou (苏州) in Jiangsu province has been the center of Chinese silk production for over 2,000 years. The region’s silk industry peaked in the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644) when Suzhou supplied imperial silk to the court. The traditional production method uses Bombyx mori silkworms fed exclusively on mulberry leaves grown in the surrounding hills. Each silkworm produces a single continuous thread up to 1,500 metres long. Reeling, weaving, and dyeing the threads into finished fabric is still done by hand at the finest workshops. For visiting Suzhou from Shanghai: Suzhou and Hangzhou Guide.
Where to Buy
Suzhou: The Source
- Suzhou Silk Museum (苏州丝绸博物馆) shop: The museum’s own silk products are government-certified and competitively priced. Excellent range of scarves, fabric, and finished goods. Renminlu, Suzhou.
- Suzhou Silk Store (苏州丝绸商店): State-owned retail outlet on Renmin Road. Fixed prices. Comprehensive range. Worth comparing to see price benchmarks.
- Shantang Street vendors: The historic waterway street has silk vendors mixed with tourist stalls. Quality varies. Apply the burn test before committing.
Beijing: Ruifuxiang (瑞蚨祥)
Founded 1893 on Dashilar Street near Qianmen. The most historic silk shop in Beijing. Four floors of genuine Chinese silk, brocade, and traditional fabric. Fixed prices, no haggling, certified quality. Not cheap. The qipao fabrics on the upper floors are genuinely extraordinary.
Shanghai: South Bund Fabric Market
For silk fabric by the metre for tailoring. Multiple vendors on the same floor sell different grades of silk. The market sources directly from Suzhou mills. Ask to see the fabric composition certificate for any silk claimed to be 100% mulberry. This market is more for having things made than for buying finished goods.
Silk Products Worth Buying
| Product | Price Range (genuine) | Portability | Notes |
| Silk scarf (plain) | ¥150 to ¥300 | Excellent | Lightweight, universally useful gift. |
| Silk scarf (hand-painted) | ¥300 to ¥800 | Excellent | Look for individual painting variation, not printed patterns. |
| Silk pillowcase | ¥200 to ¥500 | Good | Genuinely good for hair. Pack flat. |
| Silk fabric per metre | ¥80 to ¥400/metre | Good | Buy at South Bund Market. Have something made in Shanghai. |
| Silk qipao (tailored) | ¥600 to ¥1,500 | Needs careful packing | 3 days at South Bund. Bring reference photos. |
| Silk comforter | ¥500 to ¥2,000 | Difficult | Genuine silk fill is outstanding but hard to transport. |
Frequently Asked Questions
For Suzhou: Suzhou and Hangzhou Guide. For full shopping: China Shopping Guide. For haggling: Haggling in China.