Wang Shuqin, Chairwoman of Shanxi Lu'an Prefecture Lu Silk Weaving Group, is the guardian of the intangible cultural heritage of Lu Silk. From hand to art, from person to heart, Wang Shuqin has devoted her life to one pursuit. Just like the Lu Silk she has protected all her life, she embodies exquisite resilience, warmth, and tenderness.Though also a type of silk, Lu Silk does not possess the coolness characteristic of southern silks. Instead, it carries a soft, substantial texture that invites closeness—much like a mother's embrace, bringing a sense of tranquility to the heart.

Strolling through the Lu'an Prefecture campus, one encounters red-brick walls, tree-lined avenues, and towering chimneys. A sprawling complex of sawtooth-roofed factory buildings, now designated as historical structures, narrates the grand story of a bygone textile era. The iconic office building and water tower stand as preserved memories of the site, seamlessly integrated with modern artistic murals, all meticulously retained. It feels as if time has flowed back to the 1980s.

The campus preserves the original sawtooth-shaped, interconnected factory buildings—constructed with Soviet assistance and designed by East Germany during the early days of the plant’s establishment. The roofs, composed of glass panes, facilitated natural lighting and ventilation—a hallmark of typical industrial architecture from that period.

In the early 1980s, Wang Shuqin, freshly graduated from university, was assigned to this long-dreamed-of workplace—a highlight of her life. “Back in my middle school days, I noticed classmates who were children of silk mill employees always had the trendiest stationery. And every day after school, I’d see men from the mill wearing fashionable pink shirts.”

At that time, the Gaoping Silk Mill attracted educated youth from 116 counties and cities across China, including Qingdao, Fujian, Wuxi, and Shanghai. It became a fashion benchmark in Gaoping and throughout Shanxi, as well as a vibrant social landmark. The factory complex even had its own bathhouses, kindergarten, and hospital. Throughout the ’80s, the silk mill embodied the ideal of a happy and prosperous life.