Xi Jianjun (1st, L) poses for a group photo with friends. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Xi Jianjun, a Nantong native who lives in the United Kingdom, is currently establishing a Silk Road-themed museum in Macclesfield, a town in the UK.

Xi has been collecting Chinese porcelain made in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties since he moved to the UK in the 1980s.

Several years ago, when Xi returned to Nantong, a modern loom machine made in Manchester was on display at the Nantong Museum and this inspired him to do research into commercial intercourse between China and UK.

He found that two sides had started trading with one another as early as during the ancient Silk Road period. He also found that some scholars believe that the end of the Silk Road extended into Macclesfield.

Artistic works collected by Xi Jianjun. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

"As such, I decided to build a Silk Road Museum in Macclesfield and put a bronze statue of Zhang Jian in it to help more people know about his story," said Xi.

Zhang Jian was an industrial magnate and scholar in modern China who founded China's first cotton-spinning company Dasheng Cotton Mill and the first public museum Nantong Museum in Nantong.

Xi said that the 1,500-square-meter Silk Road Museum is expected to open during the Spring Festival next year. The official website of the museum was launched on Oct 19.

The museum will use historical relics and artistic works, including sculptures, porcelains, silk, and paintings, to illustrate the prosperous development of the Silk Road. The museum will also organize symposiums and academic exchanges to improve its profile and influence, and raise awareness of China's involvement in the Silk Road.

Xi added that he will showcase textile artworks and intangible cultural heritage items in Nantong at the museum. He also plans to build a Silk Road museum in other European countries including Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey.