Connecting hearts using threads

Embroiderers from China and Saudi Arabia collaborate to create unique artworks

A camp where Chinese embroiderers and Saudi Arabian artists exchanged ideas and collaborated recently wrapped up in Suzhou New District. During the 12-day event, artists from both countries worked together to create a set of four embroidery pieces that blend elements from their respective cultures.

These artworks will then go on the Saudi Ministry of Culture's global art tour and later join the Saudi National Museum's collection.

Lu Fuying, a master embroiderer and event participant, said, "We hope to connect hearts using threads and we believe that the civilizations of our two countries can coexist harmoniously in the same space."

One of the participating Saudi artists said Chinese embroidery art is extremely delicate and beautiful, and that she very much looks forward to learning the art.

Located in the west of Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, Suzhou New District is not only one of the earliest-developed and most open regions in Suzhou, but boasts abundant intangible cultural heritage. The area is home to 33 representative intangible cultural heritage items, including Suzhou embroidery, kesi silk-weaving technique, jade-carving technique and fruit pit art, with 55 representative inheritors.

To mark this year's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, which falls on the second Saturday in June, Suzhou launched around 100 events, including exhibitions, fairs, performances and tours. As an important hub for intangible cultural heritage, Suzhou New District has introduced a series of measures to promote these treasures and has achieved fruitful results.

One such initiative is a talent cultivation plan for Suzhou embroidery, focused on preserving and innovating the traditional craft. The initial sub-plans, the Embroidering the Future Plan and the Young Embroiderers International Innovation Plan, have been revealed.

Another initiative is an intangible cultural heritage summer study tour series titled "Suzhou Residents Tour Suzhou", which recently introduced five themed routes.

The first route, centered around the theme of Suzhou embroidery, saw 30 senior high school students exploring intangible cultural heritage sites such as the China Embroidery Art Museum and the studios of intangible heritage masters in Suzhou New District.

At the China Embroidery Art Museum, the young visitors had the opportunity to try their hand at embroidery. A student surnamed Li told Yangtse Evening Post: "Prior to my visit, I had done some homework on Suzhou embroidery. I was surprised to find that what appeared simple was actually very challenging, leading me to deeply appreciate the embroiderers' perseverance."

Zhenhu subdistrict in Suzhou New District, recognized as one of the birthplaces of Suzhou embroidery, is home to more than 8,400 practitioners of the craft. The area boasts three national-level masters in arts and crafts, two national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritors of Suzhou embroidery, and 18 provincial-level masters in arts and crafts. It also hosts more than 380 registered Suzhou embroidery businesses, generating an annual output value of 1.5 billion yuan ($209 million).

The efforts of Suzhou New District in promoting intangible cultural heritage have resulted in numerous achievements.

The Center for Ethnic and Folk Literature and Art Development of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently revealed the 2025 cases for the innovative dissemination of intangible cultural heritage. It features two entries from Suzhou New District: the 2024 Embroidery Art Exhibition Week and the kesi workshop of the Fan Yuming Weaving and Embroidery Studio.

At the 2024 Baihe Cup, an arts and crafts design and innovation competition, embroidery masters from Suzhou New District clinched six awards.

Suzhou New District has been exploring the potential of its cultural assets and ways to integrate them with other business formats, injecting new vitality into its cultural sectors. As of the end of 2024, the area housed 145 cultural enterprises above a designated size. They collectively achieved a revenue of 43.73 billion yuan last year, marking a year-on-year increase of 18.5 percent.

huyuyan@chinadaily.com.cn