STITCHING TOGETHER THE STRANDS OF CULTURE

Displays of ancient craftsmanship attract crowds at Beijing heritage showcase, Yang Feiyue reports.

Hundreds of tiny white pearl and coral beads became delicate tea flowers on a costume of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) style under embroidery artist Bi Hong's magic touch.

"They were 1.1 to 1.2 millimeters in diameter, and had holes drilled into them before being sewn together," Bi says, introducing her work to a crowd around her stand at the Beijing International Week of Intangible Cultural Heritage in late October.

"It's an innovation on traditional culture," says the inheritor of Beijing embroidery, a form of national intangible cultural heritage. "I also used asymmetrical design to break the mold."