Qian Xiaoping has been engaged in silk design and research for more than 60 years. She invented China's second-generation artificial blood vessel—the "woven polyester plush-type artificial blood vessel," which won the Third-Class National Invention Award. In 1986, she was awarded the Gold Plaque Medal at the 14th International Invention Exhibition in Geneva and the Silver Medal at the 35th Brussels Eureka International Invention Exhibition. Meanwhile, she has successfully developed a variety of silk products: for example, "huarong silk" (flower velvet silk) was popular both at home and abroad and won the National New Product Golden Dragon Award; in 1996, her designed double-sided heterogeneous composite scarf became a nationwide trend and won the Gold Medal at the Exhibition of the 4th UN World Conference on Women.

To rescue, protect, display and promote China's traditional silk culture and craftsmanship, she founded China's first professional silk museum—the Suzhou Silk Museum—and the "China Silk Weaving and Embroidery Cultural Relic Reproduction Center." In cooperation with the National Museum of China, she has led scientific and technological personnel in conducting research over the past nearly 18 years, successfully reproducing more than 20 precious silk cultural relics from the Pre-Qin, Western and Eastern Han, Sui and Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties, etc. These achievements have won her the Third-Class and First-Class Science and Technology Progress Awards of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China respectively.