In terms of price and quality, contemporary Chinese rugs are probably the best value items produced today.

The rug-making industry is organized under the government control and a wide range of items, which conform to exact standards of quality, size, colour and design, are woven in a number of manufactories and workshops in Peking, Tientsin, Sinkiang, Shanghai, and other centers throughout the country. The fact that a carpet may be marketed as a Peking or Tientsin is largely irrelevant. It may indicate that the design is based on one traditionally associated with that name, but the dealer may simply be trying to make the rug seem more interesting by calling it something other than just ‘Chinese’.

Both wool and silk rugs are produced in a wide range of Chinese, Persian, and French designs.

They are invariably woven with a persian knot sometimes placed near the selvedge to add strength to the foundation. The materials, whether wool or silk, are second to nine, and it is not uncommon for a mixture of wools from different regions – each noted for specific qualities of softness, springiness or durability – to be employed in better quality items to ensure a perfect blend of all the characteristics necessary to produce the best rug-making material. Silk is selected with the same degree of care, and although it can sometimes be a little uneven to the touch, is generally of high quality.

Source: Oriental Rugs: A Buyer’s Guide by Lee Allane