Rainbow Bridge Volunteer Service Center at Gubei Citizen Center

Now an exhibition called “Appreciate the Long History of Chinese Silk – A Silk Theme Exhibition” is held in Gubei Citizen Center. The exhibition will last until May 29th.

Gubei Citizen Center

German girl Astrid has been in China for many years. She is very interested in Chinese traditional culture, especially the Chinese silk culture. As the curator, Astrid not only vividly shows the whole process from worm to cocoon, but also exhibits the collection of silk and manufacture of silk art works. The exhibition combines culture and industry together and unveils the mysterious “Silk Road”.

Foreign inhabitants are making gifts by cocoons under the instructions of exhibition organizers

Gubei International Community lies at southwest of Hongqiao Street Area. Since its development in 1986, Gubei Area attracts a lot of foreign expats from various countries and areas and so it is named as “little united nations”.

A Turkish volunteer and neighborhood staff

In 2004, there were over 4,000 families (13,000 inhabitants) from more than 30 countries and areas living in Gubei International Community, among which 55% were people from abroad. Now the Gubei International Community has 43 villages (more than 12,000 houses) and nearly 12,000 families (33,000 inhabitants) from 50 countries and areas, including 19,000 people from abroad (57% of total inhabitants), most of whom are Japanese, Korean and people from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

“Appreciate the Long History of Chinese Silk – A Silk Theme Exhibition” at Gubei Citizen Center

People from different countries and areas may have different belief, cultural background and customs, but multi-culturalism develops well in Gubei community. In 1996, the first expat neighborhood in China – Ronghua Neighborhood was established in Gubei International Community. From hobby classes for foreign wives and Chinese and foreigner family parties at the beginning, to theme activities on Chinese traditional culture, foreign culture and popular culture nowadays, the neighborhood held a lot of activities to strengthen the link between Chinese and foreigners.

Poster of “Appreciate the Long History of Chinese Silk – A Silk Theme Exhibition” at Gubei Citizen Center
Photo: Tan Huiming