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Dragon boats

The Dragon Boat Festival in Saltaire 5-7 May

Bradford Dragon Boat Festival held on the river Aire at Roberts Park in Saltaire, just down the road from Shimu’s showroom, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever. It starts today (Friday) with the Youth Championships, and Saturday is the...

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Chinese kites

Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day)

Chinese festivals are truly fascinating and we love to share what we know with you. One of many intriguing festivals is the Qingming Festival. It started during the Zhou Dynasty and has a history of over 2,500 years. In the...

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Year of the rooster

2017 The Year of the Fire Rooster

Celebrations for the Chinese New Year took place this weekend, and 2017 sees the start of the Year of the Rooster (or cockerel, as we tend to say in Britain). The Chinese zodiac moves in a 12-year cycle and those...

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Chinese Wooden Bucket

Storage ideas for the New Year

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, with plenty of time spent with family and friends. The home is inevitably at its busiest over Christmas and New Year, playing host to dinners and celebrations. As we dig deep into...

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Chinese and oriental accessories

The art of arranging accessories

We’re constantly inspired by the pictures you send us of Shimu furniture in your homes. This week I wanted to write about the ways you can personalise a piece with carefully-chosen and beautifully arranged accessories, which is something I see all the...

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Qinghai Painted Sideboard

Details tell a story in Beijing

I’m heading home from Beijing now so it’s a good time to reflect on another very useful few days. I’ve caught up with the main suppliers that we buy our Chinese antiques from and lined up more gorgeous pieces to ship in...

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