EVENTS
Event Highlights
Talk on “Another Border Town of Shen Congwen”
2026-09-14
The Talk on “Another Border Town of Shen Congwen”, organized by the Maritime Silk Road Society (MSRS), was held on 14 September at the Hong Kong Central Library as its final public activity. Dr Cheung Shin Yee, editor-in-chief and cultural travel expert, was the speaker of the seminar. Dr Chan Man-hung, Life Honorary Chairman of HK Publishing Federation joined the seminar as guest speaker to share stories of his interactions with Shen Congwen and his two students during their research on clothing.
At the seminar, MSRS Honorary Advisor Prof Lo Kai Yin presented the Certificate of Appreciation to the speakers to thank them for their inspiring presentations.
Dr Cheung briefly introduced Shen Congwen (1902-1988) as a modern writer and scholar of historical artifacts. His rural novels have influenced generations. A chance encounter at the Meridian Gate in 1953 began the arduous journey of Shen Congwen, Wang Xu, and Wang Yarong in their research on clothing and textile archaeology. Dr Cheung forged a deep connection with Shen Congwen, Wang Xu, and Wang Yarong through her book “Research on Ancient Chinese Clothing”. Using valuable first-hand materials, in-depth research, and interviews, she vividly and emotionally recounted the moving story of Shen Congwen's clothing group over several decades. During her presentation, Dr Cheung highlighted the arduous journey of Shen Congwen and his two apprentices over several decades, their struggle against the trials of fate with a serious and enthusiastic attitude, and how they supported the research of Chinese clothing and pioneered a new world of textile archaeology.
