The “Splendor of the Silk Road: Contemporary Chinese Silk Art Exhibition” opened July 2 at the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana, co-hosted by the China National Silk Museum, Huzhou Museum, and Turpan Museum. The show is a flagship event of the 2026 China-Kazakhstan Cultural Exchange Year and is supported by the China National Arts Fund as an international touring project scheduled for multiple countries.
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information Balayeva sent a congratulatory letter. Vice Minister of Culture Sdykov, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Han Chunlin, and Turpan Party Secretary Wen Tianping attended the opening. Han Chunlin noted that the exhibition demonstrates how silk threads have bridged civilizations along the ancient trade routes for more than two millennia. Sdykov said silk is a shared asset of all humanity and that the ancient Silk Road has regained vitality from Kazakhstan in the new era.
The exhibition presents 99 pieces across three thematic sections. “Silk from the East” traces origins to the Qianshanyang archaeological site in Huzhou, which yielded the world’s earliest silk fabrics — silk fragments, ribbons, and spinning wheels over 4,000 years old, proving that the Yangtze River Delta mastered sericulture and reeling earlier than previously documented. “Warp and Weft of the Myriad” displays reproductions of Silk Road textiles from the Astana Cemetery in Turpan, showing Eurasian aesthetic fusion across centuries. “Ancient Charm, Modern Style” features contemporary masterworks in Su embroidery, Shu embroidery, Yue embroidery, Hangzhou embroidery, and Kesi silk tapestry, alongside designer pieces that weave traditional motifs with digital creativity — some combining hand-weaving with programmed looms for hybrid textile art.
Public education programs include gold-rubbing round fan workshops, silk pattern coloring, silkworm puzzles, winged-horse paper-cutting, and hand-loom experiences at the museum. A dedicated accessibility initiative, “Warmth at the Fingertips,” invited children with disabilities to combine local Kazakh felt-making techniques with Chinese silk motifs — creating hybrid artworks that reflect both cultural traditions. The National Museum of Kazakhstan and Turpan Museum signed a memorandum of understanding during the exhibition to promote long-term cooperation in museum management and cultural heritage preservation. The China National Silk Museum and Kazakhstan’s National Museum had previously signed an agreement in 2025 to establish the “China Silk Overseas Gallery” at the Astana venue, of which this exhibition is the first major output. The exhibition runs through September 20.