Chinese silk exhibition kicks off world tour with virtual, physical displays

An exquisite dress with traditional Chinese patterns and motifs is on display at the Hungarian Agricultural Museum. Photo: Courtesy of the China National Silk Museum

The China National Silk Museum launched a world tour featuring beautiful Chinese silk art on Tuesday in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The tour, titled Global Showcase China National Silk Museum, comes ahead of the 2023 Silk Road Week.

The show combines the virtual and real exhibits. Uzbekistan, Spain and other countries' exhibitions are yet to come, Li Xiaowen, an employee from the museum's Education Department, told the Global Times. 

When it comes to the virtual displays, based on the classic exhibitions on ­Chinese silk and Silk Road culture accumulated by the museum over the years and its high-quality temporary exhibitions, the exhibition will be complemented with the interactive display of traditional Chinese sericulture and silk craftsmanship, and at the same time, it can be expanded and iteratively upgraded depending on the display space at various tour stops. 

In terms of the physical exhibits, the main focus will be on representative Chinese clothing and costumes, traditional patterns and motifs and innovatively designed artworks complemented by special cultural relics from international partners. 

Compared with traditional outreach exhibitions, the show has a notable advantage that it is easy to set up and maintain, and can be transported at low cost, according to the museum. 

Focusing on China's traditional cultural card, silk, the Global Showcase program uses the exhibitions as an entry point to connect with global cultural institutions, cementing cross-cultural bonds and cultural exchanges at home and abroad, and delivering a trustworthy, lovely and honorable image of ­China, the museum's curator Ji Xiaofen said at the event. 

Ji Xiaofen, curator of China National Silk Museum, gives a speech at the event. Photo: Courtesy of the China National Silk Museum

In addition, the Charm of the Silk Roads: Auspicious Designs on Chinese Silk Art exhibition kicked off on Tuesday at the Hungarian Agricultural Museum. The exhibition is scheduled to run until December 3. 

The exhibition consists of 60 sets and 80 replicas of ancient silk fabrics and contemporary costumes that showcase the mutual development of Chinese silk art. 

Hungary was the first European country to sign an intergovernmental cooperation document with China to jointly promote the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China-Hungary cooperation has always been a model for others in the BRI. Meanwhile, it was also the first European country to open bilingual schools that incorporated Chinese language.

China and Hungary have always maintained continuous friendly exchanges, especially in culture and art, which have seen fruitful achievements.

Co-sponsored by the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, Hungary, the Silk Robes for Princes: Luxury Silks and Velvets from Hungary's Esterházy Treasury exhibition was held at China National Silk Museum from June to August. The exhibition, which is stirring a craze at the museum, has captivated more than 240,000 visitors, Li noted. 

Launched in 2020, the Silk Road Week has been successfully held in Eastern China's Zhejiang Province. Co-organized by the National Heritage Board and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, it has welcomed the participation of more than 22 countries along the Silk Road and 200 cultural institutions.