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Soft Gold of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Xiangyunsha

Xiangyunsha is a type of silk named directly after an Intangible Cultural Heritage craft. As the wearer walks, the fabric produces a distinctive rustling sound.

It is the world's only silk dyed using a combination of pure plant-based dyes and mineral-rich river mud. The process is extraordinarily labor-intensive and requires immense patience, involving stages known as "three steamings" and "nine boilings." The raw silk must undergo multiple treatments, including procedures referred to as "first water treatment" and "second water treatment."

This intricate and irreplicable craftsmanship gives Xiangyunsha its characteristic textures, such as natural crackle patterns, softly mottled dye effects, weathered appearances, and delicate jacquard weaves. Every piece of Xiangyunsha is a unique canvas, jointly created by time and nature.

As the world’s only silk fabric dyed entirely with pure plant-based dyes and mineral river mud, Xiangyunsha contains no chemical additives throughout its production process.

Due to its highly complex craftsmanship and extremely limited output, it is also known as the “Soft Gold” of silk fabrics.

The production of Xiangyunsha requires the use of Dioscorea cirrhosa (sheng shan yao / shuliang) unique to Lingnan and river mud exclusive to the Pearl River Delta. The silk base fabric is repeatedly soaked, dyed, and sun-dried. Through the traditional method of “three steamings, nine boilings, and eighteen sun-dryings,” it ultimately develops its distinctive warm, elegant, and refined texture and charm.

The processes of “three steamings” and “nine boilings” require extreme patience. The white raw silk must undergo multiple rounds of soaking and boiling, including stages known as “first water treatment” and “second water treatment.” It is repeatedly immersed and steamed in dye baths of varying concentrations of Dioscorea cirrhosa juice to fully penetrate the fibers and fix the color.

After the fabric is sun-dried to a deep brown tone, a special tool is used to evenly apply black river mud to one side only. This creates the iconic dual-sided effect of Xiangyunsha: a glossy black surface on one side and a warm ochre-red interior on the other, known as “black exterior, red interior.”

Finally, the fabric undergoes a traditional “mist spreading” (tan wu) finishing process to soften the material. This step further stabilizes the colors and gives the fabric its distinctive matte sheen, structured drape, and elegant crispness.

The complex and irreplicable craftsmanship gives Xiangyunsha its natural crackle patterns, soft mottled dye effects, weathered textures, or delicate jacquard-like designs. Every piece of Xiangyunsha is a one-of-a-kind canvas, jointly painted by time and nature.