Threading culture and skill into garments of beauty

"With a growing emphasis on the preservation of ethnic costumes, the availability of quality pieces has diminished, and the cost of acquisition has risen, placing a strain on our resources," Tian says.

To mitigate funding pressures, the museum has diversified acquisition strategies, including borrowing from other institutions, and accepting public donations.

Its website has a donor directory dating back to 2008, and the 102 entries each tell a touching story.

One narrative involves Dong Min, a Beijing resident who donated 61 outfits from the 1940s to '80s, and 156 photographs from his late mother's collection.

Tian shares the heartfelt circumstances of Dong's contribution. Following his mother's passing two years previously, Dong sought a deserving repository for her cherished possessions.