Staff and students in the School of Architecture have constructed a “Cabinet of Memories,” as part of a community event on 7 September co-organised by Pagoda Arts, Writing on the Wall and Irish Festival.
This project investigates the heritage of the Chinese community in Liverpool since the 19th century. Together with Chinese communities in Liverpool, the School of Architecture designed this “Cabinet of Memories” to collect objects (such as instruments, photographs, kitchenware and maps) that contain memories of the Chinese seamen in Liverpool who served in the merchant navy during the Second World War. It has been revealed that around 2,000 Chinese seamen who settled in Liverpool after the War were forcibly repatriated to China by the Home Office in 1945 and 1946.
The project was funded by The Alumni & Friends Fund, University of Liverpool and supported by the Business & Economic Support Team (Liverpool City Council), Liverpool China Partnership and Merseyside Chinese Association Joint Action Group.
Community meetings where students presented the cabinet design
The cabinet was presented at Great George Square, in Liverpool’s Chinatown which was very well-received. A member of the public came with her family and showed her grandfather’s passport to staff and students at the School. She said: “My grandfather was from Shanghai, and he came to Liverpool and worked as a seaman in 1921; this (the passport) is very precious for our family, and we would like to be involved in your work.”
The School of Architecture has a long history of involvement with Chinatown. Architect and planner Chen Zhanxiang (1916-2001) began his studies at Liverpool School of Architecture in 1938 for his BA and gained the Masters in Civic Design in 1944. During his time in Liverpool, he was the secretary of the Chinese Seamen Union in Liverpool.
The School of Architecture also teamed up with students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) to design another installation to be presented in Shanghai as a part of a celebration to cherish the 25th anniversary of the sister cities partnership between Shanghai and Liverpool. The models made by the students from Shanghai and postcards created by students at Liverpool were presented at the Museum of Art Pudong in June at a special event co-hosted by the University of Liverpool, where new partnerships were signed with universities and research institutes.
Presenting the model and postcards in Shanghai
Dr Junjie Xi, Senior Lecturer in Architectural Design at the University of Liverpool said: “It has been a beautiful journey working with students from Shanghai and Liverpool on this international project. We’re proud to be collaborating globally to contribute to the rich history of our communities locally.”
“We are now in the process of archiving and collecting the objects and adding drawers to the cabinet design. We’re really looking forward to the project being displayed for Lunar New Year next year and for it to be displayed in the Maritime Museum from 2028.”