Through a collection of textiles and garments, a new exhibition at Galashiels’ Great Tapestry of Scotland Centre tells the story of an ancient cloth weaving technique which has been preserved for over 700 years in the Songjiang district of Shanghai. Much like Scotland’s iconic fabrics, the Songjiang textiles are widely recognised in China for their cultural importance, with their intricate weaving techniques, beautiful patterns and ancient relevance to the Ming and Yuan Dynasties.

Sandy Maxwell-Forbes, Centre Director for The Great Tapestry of Scotland, has said, ‘It is incredibly apt that (the exhibition) should make its debut in the Scottish Borders – one of Scotland’s own historic textile heartlands, where traditional methods of production are still used to make garments for leading fashion designers, including Dior, Vivienne Westwood and Chanel.’

The Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor centre was purpose-built to house one of the world’s longest tapestries, which tells a visually compelling account of the people’s story of Scotland from millions of years BC to the present day through 160 panels. Sandy Maxwell-Forbes adds, ‘The Great Tapestry of Scotland… reinforces how important it is to our nation to preserve our rich textile heritage and pass on the knowledge of these crafts to the next generation.’