On 29 July 2025, a group of 20 members of Belfast’s Chinese Welfare Association visited Mount Stewart in County Down for a workshop organised by the Historic Houses, Global Crossroads project.

The workshop aimed to generate insight into the Chinese connections of the collections and heritage at the Mount Stewart estate, working in partnership with heritage professionals and researchers from the National Trust and the Centre for Public History at Queen’s University Belfast.

Sally Gillespie of the Chinese Welfare Association said,

“We all had a wonderful day at Mount Stewart. All the feedback from our participants was overwhelmingly positive. We felt so much warmth and welcome through the whole visit.” Sally explained, “Through our conversations, I learned from others that simply observing an object can spark new ideas through your imaginations. These informal discussions gave everyone the freedom to express themselves openly, which I most enjoyed. In our everyday lives here in Northern Ireland, we might sometimes overlook elements of Chinese culture that connect deeply to who we are. During this visit, we stepped away from talking about our work, daily life, or family and instead focused entirely on our shared Chinese heritage, it was great!”

The workshop will inform a forthcoming exhibition launching at Mount Stewart in April 2026, exploring the global connections of the collections at the estate. As Julieanne McMahon-Grier, Cultural Heritage Curator with the National Trust, explained, "This inspiring and enriching day was a wonderful reminder of how historic houses and their collections can be catalysts for great conversation, new perspectives and building relationships. The group were so generous with their knowledge, memories and ideas, and we’re looking forward to incorporating their insights into the exhibition.”

The workshop included checking up on an Acer palmatum sapling planted at Mount Stewart by the Chinese community on 21st October 2011, now a flourishing tree of fourteen years old.

This workshop was the beginning of a planned ongoing collaboration between the Chinese Welfare Association and the Centre for Public History at QUB to explore some of the many objects with Chinese connections held in Northern Irish collections, reflecting the long history of links between Northern Ireland and China.

For the Chinese Welfare Association, this is a step on a road to greater cultural activity. “As an organisation dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of the Chinese community, we see it as our responsibility to create platforms that promote and share our culture with other communities,” Sally explained.

Dr Briony Widdis of Queen’s University Belfast said,

“It was an absolute joy to attend this workshop, which enabled us to learn so much more about Chinese cultural heritage; and about the importance of these precious items, both in personal ownership, and at Mount Stewart, to people living in Northern Ireland today. We’re looking forward to developing this research through further collaboration.”

Group photo of the day at Mount Stewart (courtesy of Chinese Welfare Association)

Media

Julieanne McMahon Grier, Briony Widdis and Emma Reisz, 1 August 2025