Inheritor of Han embroidery

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Ren Wei makes an embroidery work at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact.

Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums.

Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft.

"Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art.