Stunning Shu brocade and embroidery techniques live on in museum

A female apprentice works on a Shu Brocade patterning tower loom in Chengdu Shu Brocade and Embroidery Museum in Sichuan province, Aug 13, 2015. The complicated and time-consuming process produces exquisite handmade Shu Brocades.[Photo by Jiang Wanjuan/chinadaily.com.cn]

Since ancient times, Sichuan has been well known for brocade and embroidery.

The technique of Shu embroidery began to take shape in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) and was one of the top four Chinese embroidery schools, along with Su Embroidery in Jiangsu, Xiang Embroidery in Hunan and Yue Embroidery in Guangdong. The most well-known among the four, Shu Embroidery has 120 kinds of stitches, and features fluid lines and bright colors, which look natural and vivid.