Kids get fun history lessons on textiles
Print Edition
Students are getting the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of Shanghai’s textile industry through a summer camp in Putuo that includes interactive games to teach the importance of teamwork.
Now in its fourth year, the camp offers half-day, one-day or two-day field trips that take place every week. Students can join for free.
Song Siqi is a third grader at Fushan Foreign Language Elementary School and took the two-day trip. On the first day, the group visited the Shanghai Textile Museum, a fire station and Mengqing Park.
“The firefighters explained their equipment like pipes and ropes used for escape,” Song said.
The next day they went to Jinshan District to visit the Shen’an Textile Factory.
“When we entered, we saw beautiful sweaters and coats,” Song said. “The guide explained to us that the machines they are using now can make four kinds of cotton at the same time,” Song said. “We also observed the workers in action and I was so happy to learn many new things.”
Wu Chenyun is in seventh grade at Shanghai World Foreign Language Middle School, and the experience for him was exciting.
“Although it was raining on the day, it didn’t influence our enthusiasm to explore the textile industry,” Wu said. “After lunch we learned about the tie-dye technique, although it seemed easy enough. We folded the cloth and dipped it in the dye, and I was really attracted to the wisdom of the working people in ancient times.”
At the museum, Wu saw different clothes in various styles on display.
“The variety of fiber and materials used to make the clothes are telling historical stories,” he said.
Located on 150 Aomen Road, Shanghai Textile Museum stands on the site of the Shanghai Shenxin Textile Factory No. 9 on the southern bank of Suzhou Creek. The displays in the museum cover the history of textiles and the industry in Shanghai. Items include old spinning wheels, early machinery and recreated scenes from factories.
Lu Jiaxi, a fifth grader from Liaoyuan Experimental Primary School, was in a group on August 1 that started at Yichang Fire Station, where she saw firefighters in action.
“They can leave in no time when hearing the alarm,” she said.
Lu learned the history of Suzhou Creek at Mengqing Park, and the afternoon was for activities at the Shanghai Textile Museum.
“Because of the rain, the teachers gave each of us a glass of brown sugar ginger tea to prevent catching a cold,” she said. “We all got instruction on how to do tie-dye and tried, ourselves.”
The process started by folding the fabric into a small triangle.
“I tied the two corners with rubber bands, kind of like two cute braids, and put two clips on each side of the triangle, finishing up the first stage,” she said.
Then the teacher dipped the two-tied corners into the dye, then used a syringe to inject more dye on the edges of the clips before hanging the basket to dry.
“After half an hour, the work finally showed and I was excited to get mine,” Lu said. “I opened it with excitement and curiosity, and it was so pretty. A blue flower is in the middle, and there’s also a heart and a circle, and the best was the two music notes on left and right.”
Chu Lingyan of Nanyang Model Middle School learned about the camp and signed up for the two-day trip.
“I learned a lot and also made new friends,” she said. “Though I’ve been to Mengqing Park many times in the past, listening to the commentator made it more fascinating.”
Chu learned to make the Chinese knot as well as tie-dye at the museum. Her group left early the second day for the trip to Jinshan.
“Every worker was working non-stop, every step was strictly followed, and there’s no room for error,” Chu said after observing the daily operation at the textile factory.
For many students, it marked their first time setting foot in a large factory.
“It was incredible looking at buckets of white cotton, and thinking about the clothes they can be made into in the future, I was amazed,” said Cai Xiyu from Wenlai Middle School.
There are many other summer events and activities planned for children in Putuo. The office for juvenile summer break oversaw many activities including field trips, competitions, exhibitions and lectures.
The Putuo Women’s Association hosted an outdoor family event on July 30. More than 100 children aged from the six to 15 joined with their parents at the social practical service center for middle and primary schools in Anting Town, Jiading District.
The event was considered an important part of the association’s series in parenting service, and the theme was low-carbon living and environmental protection.
In Anting, the children picked vegetables and fruits, tried cooking using traditional stoves, joined Q&A sessions and visited the automobile museum.
OTHER REMAINING SUMMER ACTIVITIES
Reading day with authors
It’s an opportunity for children to communicate face to face with children’s literature authors. Every forum has a different theme, and each session will accommodate 100 people.
Time: third Wednesday of every month
Reservation tel: 5265 7483
Venue: Putuo Library
Address: 1278 Tongchuan Rd
Stories with parents
The story house not only reads great stories to the children, but also hosts games and talent shows to encourage children to participate with parents.
Time: every Saturday at 10:30am
Reservation tel: 5265 1358
Venue: Putuo Library
Address: 1278 Tongchuan Rd
Movie screenings: “Valiant”
Directed by Gary Chapman, this 2005 animation film tells the story of a group of war pigeons during the World War II. Valiant is the name of a leading role, a wooden pigeon.
Time: August 20, 2pm
Venue: Yichuan Community Cultural Activity Center
Address: 200 Huayin Rd
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
