How is Macclesfield – a market town in England– connected to China? Well it turns out that this area is renowned for its silk industry. For over 400 years, locals made their living in the silk industry until its decline in the late 19th century. Now, the town is trying to bring its silk roots back, using its links with China. Our reporter Xi Jia is there to tell us more.

The Silk Museum, the silk bar, Silk FM. Even the local football team is called the Silkmen.

It seems there are endless references to silk in this small town.

400 years ago, Macclesfield became famous for its silk production and at one point was the world's largest producer of finished silk. 

HILDA GADDUM FORMER COUNCILLOR OF MACCLESFIELD "The water is very soft in this area, and originally when the silk came to Macclesfield it was for silk buttons, because they were expensive decorations that days, and gradually our silk was beginning to become available outside China, the yarn. Gradually there were some very big mills. They bought up a lot of land around here where there were reservoirs, and the reason for that is they could control the water. And the quality of the water of the dye house for the mills, that is why there was so much silk in Macclesfield."

The Gaddum family has a history in the silk trade dating back to the Victorian era. For more than 200 years, they traded silk.

British silk eventually became expensive compared to other countries like China that had a lower labor cost. The industry folded, and many people found themselves unemployed. Macclesfield had about 72 silk mills that employed more than 15,000 people during its heyday. Now, vacant mills outnumber those still in operation.

Among them is Ron Smart's company, which was established in 1972 and has only 1 employee at that time, and now the number has turned to 78. RA Smart is one of the local silk companies that has a close relationship with the Chinese market. They use traditional and modern techniques to gain an edge on the competition.

When speaking of the influence of China's Belt and Road initiative, Smart says the initiative will surely help regenerate the town and the silk industry. 

RON SMART MANAGER, RA SMART SILK COMPANY "Absolutely, no doubt. We can actually develop the theme particularly to see Macclesfield as the western end of the Silk Road and I think connections particularly Macclesfield has with Xi'an for example, that is a great thing. China is such a large market, you have to be part of it, it's not a market that you can ignore. "

HILDA GADDUM FORMER COUNCILLOR OF MACCLESFIELD "I think it would be nice to forge a stronger bond again with China, because it is a very important part of our history in this town. If it helps to make better friendships with Xi'an, I think that will be very welcome, because it is so much a part of China's history as well as ours, the two go together within this world."

Graham Barrow, a former Macclesfield heritage and tourism consultant, is also playing a role in reshaping the town under the Belt and Road framework. Working in Xi'an has made Graham a fan of the Silk Road. He even traveled half of it himself from China to Central Asia. Insisting that Macclesfield is the western end of the ancient Silk Road while Xi'an is the eastern end, Graham is eager to help establish close ties between Macclesfield and Xi'an.

GRAHAM BARROW TOURISM AND HERITAGE CONSULTANT "It's coincided with President Xi's OBOR initiative, it all makes sense. Since that time, we all tried to form closer links between Macclesfield and Xi'an. And we have managed to make two visits there with groups from Macclesfield to Xi'an, and there, we received groups of professionals from the Tourism development company to Macclesfield to talk about how we could form closer relationship."

XI JIA MACCLESFIELD "These elderly residents are trying their best to establish links between Macclesfield and China. In their minds, the Belt and Road Initiative will be an unmissable opportunity for this past silk town to be reshaped and regenerated, thriving as the real western end of China's ancient Silk Road. Xi Jia, CGTN, Macclesfield, UK."