Zhujiajiao is acclaimed as the "Venice of Shanghai," and located within Zhujiajiao is the Qing Dynasty Post Office at 35 West Lake Street. The opening ceremony of the "Unspoken Secrets of Fabric" Jiangnan Homespun Fabric Art Exhibition took place at the post office's JIAOLI lecture hall (a Chinese aesthetic living experience space) on December 2, 2023.

The exhibition is inspired by "the story of a Jiangnan girl creating beauty with her own hands, and the century-old Qing Post Office guarding the beauty of culture—a perfect combination," said Zhou Qiaoli, the operating director of Zhujiajiao's Qing Dynasty Post Office.

The exhibition showcased rare and vintage homespun fabrics collected from Shanghai suburbs such as Zhujiajiao and Chongming, as well as surrounding rural areas. The texture of homespun fabric serves as a mosaic piece in Chinese cultural rituals.

Jiangnan women have a profound connection to homespun fabric. Even today, the older generation of women in areas like Zhujiajiao Town and Liantang Town in Qingpu District still preserves traditional weaving techniques and collaborates with artisans. Therefore, the exhibition also included many old photos of Jiangnan girls from the 1970s.

The most precious fabric displayed in the exhibition is the intricately crafted "hundred characters fabric." The term “hundred characters” sounds similar to “hundred sons” in Chinese. Commonly referred to as “treasured possessions,” (it is an essential part of the dowry for newlywed brides in Chongming area, traditionally kept as a valuable item) it symbolizes items kept at the bottom of a chest. While ordinary homespun fabrics require two or three foot pedals on the weaving machine, the "hundred characters fabric" uses twelve foot pedals simultaneously to weave different Chinese characters.

The preservation of intangible cultural heritage homespun fabric and the appreciation of its works by international friends are all due to the allure of Chinese culture.

Time: December 2, 2023, to January 1, 2024

Venue: Qing Post Office in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town,

Add: 35 West Lake Street, Zhujiajiao