CTR in China
When Marie-Louise Nosch received the Danish Elite Research Prize in 2009, it was decided to travel to China in order to celebrate the prize and to gain inspiration for future research. The Chinese lecture and study tour took place October 4th to 21st 2009.
CTR staff had the possibility to bring family members along at their own expense. In addition, important partners in textile research were also invited to join us, at their own expense, and the group consisted of 29 participants plus two guides.
Research visits had in advance been arranged with Chinese institutions and scholars. The China National Silk Museum at Hangzhou had invited CTR, and we spent a day with their researchers and students. CTR scholars gave four lectures at the museum. Our host was Prof. Dr. Feng Zhao, China's leading expert on silk, vice director of the China National Silk Museum, deputy to the National People’s Congress and also professor at the Donghua University in Shanghai.
The trip also included meeting with researchers at Nanjing Textile Research Institute and the Archaeological Institute of Shaanxi. The groups also visited in particular the Shanghai History Museum, Shanghai Museum, Capital Museum in Beijing, Indigo Dyeing Factory and Nantong Blue Calico Art Gallery, Nantong Textile Museum, Donghua University Textile Museum, Emperor Qin´s Terracotta Army at Xian, and Shaanxi Historical Museum.
Also textile workshops were on the programme: Silk Dyeing Workshop, Silk Brocade Weaving Workshop, Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute, Silk Spinning Factory.
Finally, the CTR team gave five lectures at Donghua University, Shanghai for students in design and art history. The China tour brought energy and inspiration to the centre and an outlook on the wider world.