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The Archives of Suzhou Silk from Modern and Contemporary Times were Inscribed on the Memory of the World International Register

Time:2020-06-28 Source:

On October 31st 2017, The Archives of Suzhou Silk from Modern and Contemporary Times were inscribed on the Memory of the World International Register by UNESCO. Filling the void in the international inscription of Suzhou documentary heritage, the silk archives became one of the 13 included documents across China.

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Pic / Suzhou News

The Archives of Suzhou Silk from Modern and Contemporary Times, with a total of 29,592 volumes, are the most preserved, complete and systematic silk sample archives in China and even in the world nowadays. These archives are directly formed during the process of technical research, production management, trading and marketing and foreign exchanges of Suzhou silk enterprises and organizations from 19th century to the end of the 20th century, which are composed of different forms including written records and silk samples with high preservation value.

After the successful inscription, Suzhou Industrial and Commercial Archives Administration, the safekeeping institution of silk archives, carries out a series of explorations and practices: the Memory of the World Knowledge Center-Suzhou was launched in 2018; the International Seminar on the Memory of the World Program: a Journey in Progress and the First Working Session of the Memory of the World Knowledge Centers were held in Suzhou in 2019; the China National Silk Archives in Suzhou is on construction now. In the future, Suzhou archivists will continue to contribute to archival protection and their efforts like a single spark will light the public’s enthusiasm for documentary heritage research.


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These archives have witnessed the change of Chinese silk industry from the traditional workshop to industrial production


  Edit accroding the materials from Suzhou Industrial and Commercial Archives Administration