When did the latest cotton enter China? A detailed timeline analysis
Cotton is one of the most important crops in the world. It is the seed fiber of plants in the genus Gossypium of the mallow family (Malvaceae), and can be made into fabrics of various specifications. At present, the countries with the highest cotton production in the world are China, the United States, India, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Argentina and Sudan. Now let us take a look at when cotton entered China!
When did cotton enter China?
Cotton cultivation first appeared in the Indus Valley civilization in the 5th to 4th millennium BC. Around the 9th century, the Moors brought cotton cultivation methods to Spain; in the 15th century it was introduced to England, and then to England's colonies in North America. In our country, at least 2,000 years ago, cotton fiber was already used as a textile raw material in areas such as Guangxi, Yunnan and Xinjiang. However, in the Central Plains region, people at first only regarded cotton as an ornamental plant and did not recognize its economic value. Because African cotton and Asian cotton were poor in quality and low in yield, by the late Qing Dynasty our country successively introduced improved upland cotton varieties from the United States. Today, all the cotton grown in our country consists of upland cotton and its varieties from various countries.
By what routes did cotton spread into our country?
It is generally believed that cotton spread into our country from both the south and the north toward the Central Plains. The earliest southern route was Asian cotton from India, which spread through Southeast Asia to Hainan Island and the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, according to historical records at least during the Qin and Han dynasties, and later spread to areas such as Fujian, Guangdong and Sichuan. The second route was from India through Myanmar into Yunnan, at about the time of the Qin and Han dynasties. The third route was African cotton passing through West Asia into Xinjiang and the Hexi Corridor area, at about the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The northern route was what ancient texts called the “Western Regions.” During the Song and Yuan dynasties, cotton spread to the vast areas of the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins, and by the 13th century northern-route cotton had reached the Wei River basin in Shaanxi.
What variety classifications does cotton have?
1. Coarse cotton: Coarse cotton is also called Asian cotton, native to India. Because of its low yield and coarse, short fiber, it is not suitable for machine spinning and has tended to be eliminated.
2. Long-staple cotton: Long-staple cotton is also called sea-island cotton, native to South America. Its fiber is long and its strength is high, making it suitable for spinning high-count yarn, with excellent quality.
3. Fine-staple cotton: Fine-staple cotton is also called upland cotton, native to Central America. It has wide adaptability, high yield, relatively long fiber and relatively good quality, and can be spun into medium-count yarn.