Chinese embroidery is a traditional folk art form with a long history. It is an important part of Chinese arts and crafts. Not only women, but also men can take part in the production of embroideries. They are commonly used for clothing such as theatrical costumes. We can also find embroidery on the surface of purses and shoes.In the past, only the people of upper classes

Since most of the embroideries were made of silk, this art form is closely connected with silkworm raising and silk reeling and weaving. As early as about 5000 years ago, our ancestors began to raise silkworms. This gave rise to the art of embroidery. According to records, the oldest embroidered product dates from the Shang Dynasty. Women in the area of what we know as the Shandong Province were very good at embroidery.

In the Han Dynasty, embroidery was widely distributed throughout the country and so many embroidered pieces that have been discovered date back to that period. With the blossoming of Silk Road, the silk production and trade began flourishing. India, the Middle East and Europe all became big markets for Chinese embroidery. At the same time, embroidery was more specialized. There were various patterns such as sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and phoenix, tiger, flower and grass as well as clouds.

People of the Song Dynasty experienced a rapid development of embroidery in quantity and quality. The Chinese silk embroidery production reached its highest peak with new tools and techniques that had been invented. The imperial court even set up a department to be put in charge of embroidery. People of that time used embroidery mainly for two purposes: for daily use and for art’s sake. Embroidery during this period became a combination of calligraphy and painting.

What are the “Four Famous Embroideries of China”?
Today, the Chinese embroidery is practiced throughout the whole country. The Four Famous Embroideries of China refer to the Xiang Embroidery in Hunan Province, Shu Embroidery Sichuan Province, Yue Embroidery in Guangdong Province and Su Embroidery in Jiangsu Province.

Xiang Embroidery

Xiang Embroidery is a famous art form from Hunan Province. Its name was “Xiang” because of the Xiang River which runs through the province. Since the Spring and Autumn Period, Xiang Embroidery had been given as a gift to the royal family. The earliest piece of Xiang embroidery was unearthed at Mawangdui of the Han Dynasty. The most amazing thing was that the weaving technique was almost the

same as we used in modern times.Xiang Embroidery is quite well known for its long history, excellent craftsmanship and unique style. The combinations of black, white and gray colours make it distinct. This art form uses the importance of contrasting light and shade that highlight the pattern texture to give a three-dimensional effect. The same as Chinese ink-and-wash paintings, Xiang Embroidery combines vivid and solid imagery and makes the most of the available space.
Xiang embroidery uses pure silk, hard satin, soft satin and nylon as material which are connected with colourful silk threads. It has absorbed the characteristics of traditional Chinese calligraphy, painting and inscription and formed its own unique characteristics. Xiang Embroidery was a witness of the development regional culture in Hunan. After more than two thousand years, Xiang Embroidery becomes a special branch of the Chinese traditional art. Xiang Embroidery is gaining popularity day by day.

Shu Embroidery
Shu embroidery was originated in the area of Chengdu, Sichuan Province. It is the general name for embroidery products in this area. Shu embroidery has a long history; the earliest record of it was during the Western Han Dynasty. At that time, embroidery was a luxury enjoyed only by the royal family. Shu Embroidery hit its peak in development in the Song Dynasty. In

the Qing Dynasty, Shu Embroidery entered the marketand an industry was formed. In addition, Shu Embroidery became more elegant and covered a wider range of themes. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the art form entered a new phase of development, began to use innovative techniques and a larger variety of forms. The raw materials of Shu Embroidery are satin and coloured silk. The artists must pay more attention to stitching, delicate coloration, and local flavour. Sichuan embroidery is used to decorate quilt covers, pillowcases, garments, shoes and painted screens.
Up till present today, Shu Embroidery has formed its own unique characteristics: smooth, bright, and neat. This art form is also deeply influenced by the geographical environment, customs and cultures. Main themes of Shu Embroidery are flowers, leaves, animals, mountains, rivers and human figures. The craftsmanship of Shu Embroidery involves a combination of fine arts, aesthetics and practical uses.

Yue Embroidery

Yue Embroidery is a general name for embroidery products of the regions in province Guangzhou. It is believed that this art form started from Tang Dynasty. And gradually the Yue Embroidery became more and more famous around the country. During the Song Dynasty, the prosperous Guangzhou Port promoted the development of Yue Embroidery. During

Qianlong's reign of the Qing, a large number of craftsmen devoted themselves to the craft, inciting further improvements to the weaving technique.Influenced by national folk art, Yue embroidery formed its own unique characteristics. According to historical records, the earlier Yue Embroidery made use of peacock feathers, rope or the hairs of a horse's tail. All these materials are still used today. The most popular themes of this type of embroidery are portrait, flowers and birds. In addition, Yue Embroidery uses rich colours for strong contrast and a magnificent and bustling effect. Different kinds of Yue Embroideries are used to produce costumes, decorations for halls and crafts for daily use.

Su Embroidery
The Su Embroidery enjoys a long history of more than 3,000 years and is the general name for embroidery products in areas around Suzhou. According to the historical records, the Su Embroidery dates back to the Three Kingdoms Period. In the Song Dynasty, it was already quite well known for its elegance and vividness. Because of the outstanding art form, the city of Suzhou won

the title “City of Embroidery”.Later on, Su embroidery experienced further developments involving the skills of double-sided embroidering.The Su Embroidery is noted for its beautiful patterns, elegant colours, variety of stitches, and consummate craftsmanship. Double-sided embroidery is an excellent representative of Su embroidery. Embroidery with fish on one side and a cat on the other side is a typical representative. When people make the Su Embroidery, they must pay attention to the followings: the product surface must be flat, the rim must be neat, the needle must be thin, the lines must be dense, the colour must be harmonious and bright and the picture must be even. That’s why even today, Su Embroidery still occupies a large share of the embroidery market in China as well as in the world.

Traditional Chinese Embroidery uses various kinds of colours. Its impact is beautiful and magnificent. For women, embroidery is a good pastime to which they might devote their skill and passion. Stitch by stitch, they embroider a pair of love birds or several beautiful flowers. And in doing so, they also capture the long history of the Chinese culture.