A long, long time ago, the first rugs for the imperial court were made in China. That was about 2,000 years ago. The antique rugs are determined by patterns of porcelain painting or silk weaving. Taoist and Buddhist influences can also be seen, for example when dragons look terrifyingly off the rug. (excerpted from here)
Recommended Reading
The Connoisseur's Guide To Oriental CarpetsA view of Chinese rugs from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuryChinese Carpets and Rugs by Adolf HackmackThe Tibetan CarpetAntique Chinese Carpets - Masterpieces from the Te-Chun Wang CollectionsChinese and Exotic RugsChinese carpetsOriental Rugs: A Complete GuideThe Woven Mystery: Old Tibetan RugsChinese Rugs: A Buyer's GuideLion-Dogs Hundred Antiques: Classical Chinese Carpets I.Classical Chinese Carpets in Western Collections, The Kangxi Period (1661-1722)A Passion for Asia: The Rockefeller LegacyPatterns of Life: The Art of Tibetan CarpetsSecrets of Tibetan Weaving: The Greensmith Collection