Folk Costume Inheritance Museum of Jiangnan University

Folk Costume Inheritance Museum of Jiangnan University

The Folk Costume Inheritance Museum of Jiangnan University is the only institution in China dedicated to the study of Han Chinese folk costumes. By enhancing its research and dissemination capabilities, the museum seeks to rescue and protect Chinese folk costumes and to inherit and develop Chinese folk costume culture. The museum combines physical displays, openness, and research, distinguishing itself from traditional museums. The essence of “inheritance” here is not merely to “protect” or “rescue” traditional folk costumes, but more importantly, to “revitalize” and “regenerate” the spiritual essence and cultural traditions embedded within them, thereby achieving genuine preservation and inheritance of China’s folk art heritage.

The Folk Costume Inheritance Museum of Jiangnan University is located on the first-floor lobby of the university’s Textile and Apparel College, covering an area of over 800 square meters across two floors, with four exhibition halls in total. The upper floor includes: the Northern China Folk Costume Exhibition Hall and the Heritage & Innovation Design Exhibition Hall; the lower floor features: the Southern China Folk Costume and Premium Exhibition Hall, and the Thematic Costume Exhibition Hall. The overall layout of the museum focuses on costume displays, with each exhibit accompanied by a brief introduction including the name and era of the item.

The museum’s collection and research work on Han Chinese folk costumes commenced comprehensively in 2003. Over the past six years, field research and collection trips have been conducted in 35 counties and cities across nine provinces, including: Suzhou, Wuxi, Nantong city proper, Rugao, Qidong, and Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province; Taiyuan city proper, Pingyao, Jiexiu, Linfen city proper, Xiangfen, and Houma in southern Shanxi’s Jinzhong region; Tunxi, Yi County, She County in southern Anhui, and Wuyuan in Jiangxi; Jinan city proper, Weifang city proper, Zibo, Anqiu, Linyi city proper, Yinan, Yishui, Mengshan, and Gaomi in Shandong; Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Xinzheng, Gongyi, and Luoyang in Henan; Quanzhou and Hui’an in Fujian; Shenyang in northeastern Liaoning; as well as Xi’an, Yan’an city proper, and Ansai in northern Shaanxi. A total of over 1,800 sets of costumes from the late Qing Dynasty and Republican era, along with more than 100 field investigation photos, have been collected. These items span over 20 categories, including jackets, trousers, headbands, skirts, shoes, straw capes, cloud shoulders, capes, patchwork embroidered shoes, old-style fur hats, tiger-head shoes, and tiger-head hats, as well as various types of jewelry.

Since its expansion and reopening on November 12, 2008, the museum has welcomed over 9,311 visitors from both domestic and international backgrounds across hundreds of visiting groups, as well as academic exchanges from scholars of related institutions (as shown in the figure below), earning unanimous praise from leaders at all levels and experts from China and abroad. Among the visitors were 78 provincial- and ministerial-level officials, 64 other officials at various levels, 4 leaders from the textile industry association, 51 academicians and experts, 858 individuals from domestic and international academic institutions, 78 foreign friends and ambassadors to China, and 7,567 professionals and general visitors. The museum has attracted special interviews and coverage from both domestic and international media, establishing a strong social reputation and academic influence both at home and abroad. This motivates us to continue our efforts in rescuing Han Chinese folk costume heritage and developing the museum, guided by the principle of “protection first, rescue foremost, rational utilization, inheritance and development,” integrating “collection, exhibition, research, and education.” We are committed to contributing to the rescue, protection, and innovation of Han Chinese folk costume cultural heritage, as well as to the inheritance of traditional Chinese culture.