CATWALK SHOW
On 29 August 2026, the Fan Museum in Maritime Greenwich—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—became a living stage for East Asian heritage.
Hand to Hand: East Asian Living Heritage was undertaken to bring together East Asian communities in London to celebrate and pass on living fan traditions.
The project began in July with fan ink painting and calligraphy workshops held at the Fan Museum, and led by Mengya Chen and Julie Zhou. Those workshops came alive in August as East Asian volunteers from across the UK, aged 19 to 60, gathered for a community fashion show and fan painting showcase in the Fan Museum Orangery. Mothers and daughters, grandmothers and granddaughters walked side by side, carrying fans made in July.
Their garments were entirely handmade—xiangyunsha, hongyunsha, tussah silk, antique zhengjuan kimono silk—and designs blended tradition with youthful creativity, like áo dài paired with modified Song-style trousers. The music supporting the show followed memory and change. This was not a traditional fashion show but a living heritage gathering: intergenerational, community-led, shared among participants and invited guests. The event was featured on China Minutes.
