In ancient China only the emperor his close family and the most important officials wore silk. And for more than 2 000 years only the Chinese knew the secret of silk making. The emperors ofChina passed laws that said anyone caught sharing the secrets of sericulture (the technical term for silk making) would be killed. Over the years however ordinary Chinese people began wearing clothing of silk too and silk came into more general use. And gradually the secret of making silk got out ofChina to the Mideast andEurope. But even todayChina is the world’s leading producer of silk. Japan is second.