Those Who Make China Beautiful: China Pavilion at London Craft Week 2026

China Pavilion at 2026 London Craft Week

On May 12^th, the China Pavilion of the 2026 London Craft Week officially opened at the Royal Mint Court in London. With the theme of Those Who Make China Beautiful, this year's China Pavilion focuses on Chinese female handicraft creators and intangible cultural heritage inheritors. The exhibition featured wedding costumes, ethnic embroidery, auspicious patterns, and contemporary craft innovation. It integrated the thousand-year-old Eastern context with contemporary design expression to present a credible, lovely and respectable Chinese image to the world. Helping to promote China's excellent traditional culture overseas and continuing to write a new chapter of exchanges and mutual learning between China and the United Kingdom.

The exhibition is organised by Art and Design Press, with the strong support of the London Craft Week Organising Committee and the Chinese Embassy in the UK, Media support was provided by the Nouvelles d'Europe UK. Important guests from China and the UK in fields including art, business, and design gathered at the opening site to witness Eastern crafts on one of the world's top craft stages.

The opening ceremony above was attended by: Zhao Fei, Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the UK; Minister Counsellor Li Liyan and Han Wangqiang; Li Hongfei, Deputy President and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Art & Design Press; Guy Salter, Founder and Chair of London Craft Week; Zhang Li, Director of the China National Tourist Office London; Professor Martin Albrow, Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences; Mick Davies, former President of Royal Society of British Artists; Meisim Lai, HM The King's Representative Deputy Lieutenant for London Borough of Brent; Antoaneta Becker, Director of Consumer Economics of the China-Britain Business Council; and Li Qiang, General Manager of the Nouvelles d'Europe UK.

Craft, Culture and Contemporary Interpretation

Li Hongfei, Deputy President and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Art & Design Press, said in her speech that this year's China Pavilion is based on the theme of Those Who Make China Beautiful, with the emotional core of One Family, One Lifetime. She hoped the exhibition would tell the world about the deep and poetic emotional, aesthetic and cultural pursuits of Chinese people through the works of female craftsmen and designers. From Chinese wedding dresses to southwestern ethnic costumes and from native craftsmanship in the rainforest to contemporary creations in the city, these crafts outline the aesthetic system of Chinese culture but also highlight the unique power of Chinese women as cultural guardians, inheritors and creators.

Guy Salter, Founder and Chairman of London Craft Week, highly praised the China Pavilion as one of the most distinctive and significant highlights of the LCW. In his speech, he noted that what makes Chinese craftsmanship so compelling is its enduring "cultural vitality" - a living tradition that continues to evolve and find new expression in contemporary society. "I'm seeing the descendants of a civilization that is very much alive," he said, many of the exquisite crafts on display were once considered forms of advanced technology in their time. Salter emphasized that Chinese craft embodies not only technical mastery, but also culture, family and emotion. He added, "I think there is a very simple reason why the China Pavilion is always one of the very best in London Craft Week. There are thousands of years of culture and expertise to draw on, and it is a very diverse country. There is always something new to focus on and bring to the British public." He also attended the exhibition together with his mother, reflecting his personal appreciation and support for cultural exchange through craft.

In the exhibition, Eastern aesthetics and contemporary design complement each other. Chinese haute couture designer Guo Pei's "Silver Robe Lantern Skirt" is inspired by traditional wedding dresses and exquisitely integrates classic crafts such as plate gold embroidery, silk weaving, and cloud shoulder patterns. It showcases the elegance and romance of Eastern wedding aesthetics. Intangible cultural heritage works such as Dai embroidery, Kino brocade, and Hani silver jewellery from southwest China carry the atmosphere of mountains and rainforests. They weave natural images, national totems and beliefs through stitch and thread, vividly interpreting the cultural atmosphere of China. Lu silk weaving, blue calico, filigree inlay, lacquer art and brocade porcelain cross-border creations are presented one after another, allowing classic auspicious symbols such as dragons, phoenixes, Fulu, and butterflies to enter the modern era. Rejuvenating a millennium of history in the contemporary scene. All exhibits telling the ingenuity and feelings of Eastern women through their delicate yet firm creations.

Costumes of ethnic minorities in Xishuangbanna, from left to right: Bulang wedding dress, Hani wedding dress, Dai wedding dress, Lahu wedding dress. By Ai Huihua.

As an important overseas extension of the National Culture Series of Art and Design Press, this year's China Pavilion is not only a craft exhibition, but also a dialogue between civilizations. The exhibition uses ingenuity as the pen, silk thread as ink, and beauty as the bridge. It breaks cultural barriers and stereotypes, allowing international audiences to better understand Chinese culture and the shared cultural identity expressed through craft and design.

Many international audiences, art practitioners and media attended the exhibition, engaging in in-depth exchanges. The China Pavilion injects a distinctive Eastern presence into the 2026 London Craft Week and contributes to ongoing cultural exchange between China and the United Kingdom.

Costumes at the exhibition by Chen Shiyu's Costume Restoration Team. From left to right, they are Ming Dynasty Crimson Python Robe and Crimson Python Robe with Plum Blossom; Song Dynasty Purple Official Robe and Red Over-robe with Xiapei Stole; Tang Dynasty Red Brocade Round-collar Robe and Huachai Ceremonial Large-sleeved Dress and Skirt; Han Dynasty Purple Gauze Zhiju Robe · Yellow Printed-ground Zhiju Robe.

At the exhibition, the work in the back is "Auspicious Pattern Quilt Cover," collector: Zhou Bo; the work in the front is "Harmony of Sheng and Xiao - Five Elements Water Washing Quilt," artist: Qi Xiaolu @Lu'anfu·Lu Silk Intangible Cultural Heritage Design.

Many international audiences, art practitioners and media attended the exhibition, engaging in in-depth exchanges. The China Pavilion injects a distinctive Eastern presence into the 2026 London Craft Week and contributes to ongoing cultural exchange between China and the United Kingdom.

Since its inception in 2015, London Craft Week has become one of the world's most important arts and crafts events held annually in London. China has participated since the beginning, showcasing traditional craftsmanship on the global stage each year.