Nanjing exhibits brocade favored by emperors at Expo, even using it in haute couture
The ancient Chinese city of Nanjing is unveiling its cultural gems to a global audience at the Milan Expo in an effort to make a connection between traditional Chinese wisdom and modern Western audiences.
Nanjing Week, through July 14, includes an exhibition in a dedicated pavilion in the center of Milan, accompanied by a fashion show and the exhibition of brocade.
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Guo Jun, a renowned yunjin craftsman. at work inside City Pavilion, Milan. Photos by Cecily Liu / China Daily |
Activities focus on the theme of yunjin, an ancient Chinese weaving technique originating from Nanjing. The technique produces elaborately designed brocades. While traditionally this technique was limited to the clothes of the Chinese royal family, today its use is more widespread, producing beautiful clothing for modern consumers in China.
Pan Guping, secretary-general of the Nanjing Week Organizing Committee of the Milan Expo, says Nanjing chose yunjin to be the theme of its exhibition because it represents Nanjing's deep cultural history and has a relevance to contemporary audiences.
"When Western viewers see yunjin, they are amazed by it. But we worked hard to craft an exhibition that would allow them to understand it, and to build on its modern day relevance," Pan says.
Nanjing's yunjin brocade has a history dating back 1,600 years, when the city of Xi'an sent its brocade craftsman to Nanjing, introducing the skill to the southern cities of China.
Gold, silver, peacock feathers and silk yarns are basic materials, and one day's hard work by two deft weavers results in only five to six centimeters of it. Therefore, it is said that an inch of yunjin is as valuable as an ounce of gold.
In the old days, it served as a symbol of royal power, but today it stands for the revitalization of rare craftsmanship and for innovation in the field of fashion design. It has also received official recognition, being listed as a Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage and recorded in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
