Boasting a history of nearly 1,600 years, Nanjing Yunjin brocade has served as imperial tribute from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911). It represents the highest level of craftsmanship in Chinese brocade and stands as a microcosm of China's sericulture civilization.

Woven predominantly from silk threads, Nanjing Yunjin brocade also adopts genuine gold and peacock feather threads in treasured collections. The weaving process can be roughly divided into design, pattern-drafting, pattern-picking, pattern-knotting, material preparation, loom making and weaving, with the subdivided procedures numbering over one hundred. Two craftsmen working eight hours a day can only weave about five to six centimeters of Yunjin, so there is a saying that "an inch of Yunjin is worth an inch of gold."