CCTV’s full-length documentary Silk Road Economic Belt started filming in Wujiang District, Suzhou, on May 26. With the aim of exploring the origin and essence of Silk Road, the documentary will unveil its historic and cultural significance by revisiting this famous ancient path.

Silk Road geographically starts in Central China, but the Jiangnan area (regions south of Yangtze River) is the birthplace of silk. According to Wan Jianying, chief director of the documentary, Jiangnan, with its ancient silk history and prosperous commercial development, makes it the cradle of the Silk Road culture. That is the reason for starting the filming in Wujiang for the documentary.

Shengze Town of Wujiang District enjoys historic prestige in the silk industry, according to Wan. Xiancan Temple and Xiaoman opera is the best representative of the local silk culture. It is an old tradition that silk worm farmers pray for the harvest of cocoons after watching Xiaoman opera at Xiancan Temple. The tradition is still alive.

Xiancan Temple is where people worship the ancestors and grandmasters of sericulture, or the breeding and raising of silk worms for the production of silk, and the silk industry.

Xiaoman opera, performed at Xiaoman (or Grain Full, one of the 24 solar terms) is a local opera performed for auspicious purposes.

“We want to spread oriental silk culture to the West and leave them a deep impression by decoding the oriental silk culture on screen,” Wan said.

According to the director, apart from Xiaoman opera, the filming in Wujiang will also involve sericulture, contemporary silk industry and Jiangnan water villages. The documentary will air next year on CCTV.