National-level Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor of Yunjin Brocade Exchange with Macau Museums and Cultural Institutions
As a world-class cultural tourism landmark, POLY MGM MUSEUM is dedicated to passing on traditional Chinese culture, highlighting the beauty of intangible cultural heritage, and curating exhibitions with the distinctive art and cultural elements from major countries along the Belt and Road. Since its opening, the POLY MGM MUSEUM has played a crucial role in cultural exchange, fostering the mutual learning of international art treasures, intangible heritage techniques, and cultural stories. Recently, the Museum co-organized a cultural and museum exchange program with Nanjing Yunjin Brocade Museum titled “Yunjin Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance and Innovation". Featuring Jian Mingwei, the Director of Nanjing Yunjin Brocade Museum, and Zhou Shuangxi, the national-level inheritor of the Nanjing Yunjin weaving technique, an intangible cultural heritage of mankind, this event encouraged an in-depth discussion on the protection, inheritance, innovation, and contemporary value of Yunjin brocade with nearly 100 participants.
The collaboration of the two museums began with the current inaugural exhibition of the POLY MGM MUSEUM, “The Maritime Silk Road – Discover the mystical seas and encounter the treasures of the ancient trade route", featuring a precious brocade work titled “Silk Road Splendor" created by Zhou Shuangxi, a prized collectable of the Nanjing Yunjin Brocade Museum. As the leading brocade among China’s three famous brocades, Nanjing Yunjin embodies the thousand-year-old Chinese civilization and is a precious intangible cultural heritage of humanity. To promote diverse cultural and artistic interactions between the two cities, the Nanjing Yunjin Brocade Museum gifted two brocade artworks, co-created by Zhou Shuangxi, to the POLY MGM MUSEUM. These works depict natural landscapes and celebrate the beautiful mountains and rivers of the motherland, thereby strengthening the friendship between the two places.
Jian Mingwei, Director of the Nanjing Yunjin Brocade Museum, said: “Museums actively play a bridging role in the mutual learning of world civilizations, bringing regional culture to a broader audience. Inter-museum exchanges are not limited to the sharing of collection resources but also include diverse cultural interactions such as exchange programs, research, and promotion. We would like to extend the modern artistic power of Nanjing Yunjin with these two signature brocade artworks, while showcasing our nation’s great craftsmanship and innovation to spread Chinese cultural stories more widely."
Zhou Shuangxi, the national inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Yunjin brocade weaving technique, said: “The exhibition of ‘Silk Road Spendor’ at the POLY MGM MUSEUM allows more people at home and abroad to appreciate China’s intangible cultural heritage art and helps in its better inheritance and development. The preservation of Yunjin Brocade’s intangible cultural heritage skills requires not only more people’s deep understanding and learning but also the transmission of the cultural spirit behind it."
The program also invited guests including Sio Kit Meng, Acting Director of the Macao Museum, and Sit Kai Sin, Director of the Macao Maritime Museum, as well as nearly 100 participants from local universities and colleges and audiences at the POLY MGM MUSEUM. The Museum will continue to launch a series of exhibitions and extension activities, including seminars, museum programs and workshops, to promote cultural exchange and appreciation further.