It is believed that Chinese knotting originated for recording information and exchanging messages before writing was commonplace.

Due to the delicate nature of the medium, little evidence of prehistoric Chinese knotting exists today.

Archaeological and literary evidence indicate that knots were used in China as a method of keeping records, especially to assist in governance.

As translated by Wing-tsit Chan:[10]"Let the people again knot cords and use them (in place of writing)" [使民復結繩而用之]The Yi Jing, Xi Ci II (ca.

168 BCE[11]), describes the practice:[12] "In the highest antiquity, government was carried on successfully by the use of knotted cords (to preserve the memory of things).

[事大，大结其绳；事小，小结其绳].The chapter of Tubo (Tibet) in the New Book of Tang says:[14] "The government makes the agreement by tie cords due to lack of characters."

[15] A double coin knot pattern painting on a silk banner was discovered by archaeologists in the Mawangdui tombs (206 BCE – CE 9).

[17] According to Lydia Chen, the earliest tangible evidence of knots as a decorative motif is on a small high-stemmed square pot from the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BCE), which is now displayed in the Shanxi Museum.

[5]: 12  Knots were cherished not only as symbols and tools, but also as an essential part of everyday life to decorate and express thoughts and feelings.

[7] In the Tang and Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), the love-based knot became an important symbol, as evidenced in many of the poems, novels, and paintings of the era.

[同心结缕带，连理织成衣].It was also mentioned in a poem written by Huang Tingjian: "We had a time knotting together, loving as the ribbon tied."

[曾共结，合欢罗带].The most famous poem about the Love knot was written by Meng Jiao in Jie Ai (结爱 – lit.

[23] The phenomenon of knot-tying continued to steadily evolve over thousands of years with the development of more sophisticated techniques and increasingly intricate woven patterns.

[31][page needed] A wall painting from 357 CE found in Anak, Hwanghae Province, now in North Korea, indicates that silk was the primary medium at the time.

Decorative cording was used on silk dresses, to ornament swords, to hang personal items from belts for the aristocracy, and in rituals, where it continues now in contemporary wedding ceremonies.

[31][page needed] The bongsul tassel is noteworthy as the most representative work familiar to Westerners, and often purchased as souvenirs for macramé-style wall-hangings.