Shanghai Textile Museum
Overview of Shanghai Textile Museum:
Planed in July 2002 and initiated in November 2007, the Shanghai Textile Museum officially opened at 128-150 Macao Road on January 7, 2009. It is the former site of Shenxin Textile No. 9 Factory (formerly known as the Shanghai Machine Weaving Bureau founded in 1878). The local professional museum has a new 4,000-square-meter display area. Shangtex Holding (Group) Corporation fully funded it.
Shanghai Textile Museum includes the Preface Hall, History Museum, Xie Ying Museum, Science Museum and Feature Museum.
With its vast scene of textile elements, Preface Hall displays the Shanghai textile history in the just 400 square meters hall. It highlights the history of textile and the Shanghai textile industry's bright future.
History Museum interprets historical development of Shanghai textile industry with the ancient, modern and contemporary historical facts; it highlights the textile industry’s historical status and role for the formation of this international metropolis Shanghai.
Xie Ying Hall tells the stories of sages, model workers, textile industrialists, experts and other textile elites in Shanghai in all times; it highlights the textile industry’s historical status and role in the international metropolis of Shanghai.
Science Museum, with the interpretation of the magical fiber footprint, colorful fabric world, complete process “chain” and extensive application space, embodies knowledge, interest, participation and interaction of the Textile Museum.
Features Museum, with the advanced exhibition idea, displays this wonderful work of the “Shanghai School” Beijing and Kunqu opera costumes.
Attractions Description:
The exhibits in the museum come from private search or community donations. Although the more than 3000 exhibits in the collective appearance have different sizes, each has its own story. There are six things “most worth seeing”:
First, the oldest fabric: it was undoubtedly Han clothing and Hu clothing on the Silk Road during the Western Han Dynasty. Though there are only the fragments after the long history, the details of the ancients’ dress more than two thousand years ago are still reflected.
Second, the most startling exhibit: they were undoubtedly pottery gauges in the Warring States period. The fabric texture looks fine and delicate. It is very rare even in the country.
Third, the most valuable exhibit: they are of course a set of imported teak conference furniture used by Li Hung-chang in the plan of building the Shanghai Machine Weaving Bureau in 1878. There are 12 square chairs around a long table. At that time they could be regarded as the first in the westernization movement. Western-style approach of placing the table and chairs coupled with stool legs and feet carved with Huizhou full carving such as Gods, The Peony Pavilion and other patterns. It was a product in the year when the westernization was said to start. The starting price of the furniture is now more than RMB10 million.
Fourth, the exhibit that is most difficult to find: it is of course an old weaving machine coming from an ordinary family in Zhujing, Jinshan. This is said that the Qing-dynasty old loom was passed for five generations. The experts from Shanghai Textile Museum visited the family for four times to convince them to contribute it, so that the old loom from the Qing Dynasty re-sees the world.
Fifth, the most beautiful exhibit. They are undoubtedly the “Shanghai School” Beijing and Kunqu opera costumes once wore by Zhou Xinfang, Yu Zhenfei and other older generation of Beijing and Kunqu opera performers. They used a lot of real gold and silver. Although they lasted through the years, they still look as good as new ones.
Sixth, the most precious exhibit. It is of course astronauts Zhai Zhigang's space training suits, some key material of which is provided by the Shanghai textile industry.
