Déqīng

Deqing lies on the waterways between Hangzhou and Lake Tai. Its eastern town of Xinshi grew beside the Grand Canal, surrounded by a countryside of mulberry trees and silkworm farms. Boats carried merchants and goods through the town, while local workers reeled and wove silk. By the Ming dynasty Xinshi had silk brokers who bought the season's new thread. Merchants gathered to purchase different grades, and the town became renowned for the quality of its reeled silk. During the Jiajing and Wanli reigns it grew into Deqing's leading market town.