Sichuan embroidery is celebrated for its time-honored history and its excellent craftsmanship. Ancient literature and relics attest to the two thousand year tradition of Sichuan embroidery. This week, a museum opened in Chengdu dedicated to the art, along with other intangible heritages.

The museum serves as the main display venue for the second Chengdu International Intangible Heritage Festival. Most of the items showcased are works of distinctive local embroidery.

Sichuan Embroidery is one of the four major styles of embroidery in China. Using pure silk, hard satin, soft satin and nylon as its materials, Sichuan embroidery is characterized by meticulous designs and bold colors. The craft boasts seventy needlework styles and often a single piece will use hundreds of different colored threads.

Along with the embroidery, the museum also dedicates considerable space to other local intangible heritages, such as brocade-making and lacquerwork. All of these crafts have been practiced in the region for more than a thousand years.