Rich tapestry of old Canton

Back in the early 1970s, an interest in Chinese clothing from the era of the imperial dynasties, and a strong desire to explore a China closed to foreign eyes, led Valery Garrett to embark on a 30-year journey of cultural discovery.

This undated oil painting depicts women and children dressed in traditional costume walking in a garden of Guangzhou. Inset: Valery Garrett Courtesy of Valery Garrett

Along the way, the fashion designer who was born and grew up in Britain became an expert on traditional Chinese costume and a respected authority with ten books on the history of Canton (old name of Guangzhou, capital city of South China's Guangdong Province).

Breakthrough visit

Garrett arrived in Hong Kong in 1973 and took an interest in Chinese women's clothes during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

"The design and craftsmanship were so beautiful and I wanted to find out more," said the research fellow at the Centre for Asian Studies at the University of Hong Kong.

While Hong Kong provided the basis for her work she scoured the New Territories for information and interviewed women there to learn more about the old way of life Garrett knew that a fuller picture lay in the mainland.

A photograph of Guangzhou dated 1870 indicates prosperous business at the port open to the West.

Garrett said China was still cut off from the outside world and foreigners were only allowed to enter if they were on business. The only way she could see into the mainland was by using binoculars. "I remember I could see duck farmers looking across Shenzhen river."

She managed to convince her employer, trading firm Dodwells, to let her go to a trade fair in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou was completely low rise, except for a five-storey pagoda and a Roman Catholic cathedral. Everywhere else, all she could see were red terracotta tiles.

As she went shopping in the department stores, a group of people would follow. Western visitors were very rare in those days.

That breakthrough visit was to be the start of a lifelong love affair with the city, as Garrett would return again and again, to learn as much as she could.

After her first book on Chinese costume came out, she worked with the Museum of History in Hong Kong, doing research and helping it build a collection of Chinese costumes. She also built her own collection, which was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum and toured Australia and other museums in Asia.

A Western painter portrayed Guangzhou women dressed similar as European women in the 19th century. File photos

The former fashion designer, who also taught fashion at Hong Kong Polytechnic, has since toured the world, giving talks on Chinese costume as well as serving as a consultant for museums and a variety of collections.

Over the years, Garrett has expanded her interests to include centuries-old Chinese arts and crafts Chinese fans, ceramics and other curios that were produced by artisans during old Canton's glory years as a trading post.

She said some stately homes in England often had China rooms where they put pieces brought back from China. A lot of works showed a mix of Eastern and Western culture.

Guangzhou lover

Garrett spent several years researching the history of Guangzhou in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and discovered the rich tapestry of cultural, ethnic and economic life. "I'm fascinated by Guangzhou," she says. "It's something that many visitors know nothing about."

For many years before the early 20th century, Guangzhou was the only port open to foreign trade and the only place where foreigners could live in China.

With people from all over the world, there was an influx of new ideas, cultures and influences in this melting pot which Garrett said became very wealthy, second only to Beijing.

Predominant among the occupants were the British, but there was a sizeable number of Americans and people from other European countries like Denmark.

The vibrant mix gave rise to foreign settlements and buildings which, barely visible now, infused the city with a cosmopolitan flavor which added to its uniqueness.

Garrett's book Heaven is High, the Emperor Far Away: Merchants and Mandarins in Old Canton reveals the secrets and colorful history of that vibrant period, a topic few have touched upon in recent years.

But despite her love of the project, Garrett found that in the world of publishing, passion does not necessarily translate into sales, with few copies of her book sold since its 2002 release.

There are few foreign languages bookstores in Guangzhou and Garrett's books are not included.

"The problem with Guangzhou is that everyone sees it as a business city, a place to make money, and nothing else," says Garrett. "Beijing is the capital and center of politics, Shanghai is the style and fashion capital and has its 1930s past, but to most people, Guangzhou does not have a distinct image."

Hopes are higher for her next book, a chronology of Chinese dress from the 17th century to the present day, due out this year. Commissioned by a US publisher, the book already has an audience.

Whenever she comes back to Guangzhou, Garrett heads straight to the old areas. "I love walking around the back streets and the old villages and browsing through the small shops and the market stalls. And I always see something that I want to come back to and find out more about next time."

(China Daily 02/02/2007 page20)