This past week we had a class field trip to two very famous sites in China. The first was the Nanjing Yun Brocade Museum of China. This museum is in a class of its own being the only museum in China that showcases the ethnic art of brocade or silk fabrics with colored patterns. This traditional handicraft began at the end of the Eastern Jin dynasty around 420AD and was initially only to be used by the royalty of the times. If commoners would dare to wear it then that would be a certain death sentence. This goes along with the social hierarchy of the times where there had to distinctive differences between the ruling class and everyone else, although there were brocades that made for military personnel as well.
As is evident in the pictures included in this post, these silk fabrics are works of art and are very time-consuming to make. At the very least, two people are needed to make a brocade. One person is positioned at the top of the weaving machine and that person feeds the weaving apparatus the fabric used to make brocade. Our teacher informed us that this is the “easy” part and that the person below is the one who really has their hands full. The individual working the bottom portion of the machine is responsible for the beautiful and complex designs that these silk brocades are famous for. These brocades are very expensive with some of the full wall mounts worth over a million dollars. I asked my teacher if there was any way that we could learn this ancient art by volunteering or interning at that particular museum but our teacher told us that the fabrication of brocades at this particular museum is a national secret that foreigners are not allowed to learn. This museum is the same museum that provided garments to dynasties throughout China’s long history so I can understand the sacredness of this location.
The second place we visited was the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. This museum pays tribute to the thousands of Chinese who lost their lives during the Nanjing Massacre that started in 1937. These was a difficult museum to visit, because seeing all the horrific things that happened to China during this dark period in their history was heartbreaking. I thought the museum was very well done with dirt from different areas where the massacre occurred as well as a huge actual plot of land from the massacre site was also on display. This piece of land was undisturbed and the skeletal remains of the victims of the massacre were all still visible as a reminder to the Chinese people to stay vigilant and continue the development of China. I was especially happy to see the last monument before departing the museum which was a picturesque statue that had the words “Peace” inscribed on it. Our never-ending goal for the world should ultimately be peace for all.
Tony in China 