Page 335 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols 328
feed the silkworms in their special containers several times a day. At the right time, the
worms have to be killed by immersion in boiling water, and then begins the work of
spinning and weaving. April is the usual month in most parts of China for all this activity
to start.
According to one legend, more than a thousand silkworms were buried along with the
wife of King Ho-lü.
Chinese silk was taken to Syria by traders and woven there into the sort of garments
that Romans liked to wear; these were then sold to Rome, and the Chinese were well
aware of the value of this commerce. So they prohibited the export of silkworms, and did
all they could to keep the method of using them a secret. And indeed it remained a secret
until a monk concealed a few silkworms in his pilgrim’s staff and introduced them to the
West.

Gathering silkworms and placing them on special shelves

The word chong is also used for adopted children. Normally, a Chinese
family would adopt only children who were related to themselves in some
way, but occasionally male children from orphanages were adopted. In
coastal areas, adopted sons of this description were often given the
dangerous jobs to do, while the sons of the family were given softer jobs
at home.