Sichuan embroidery is an ancient handicraft handed down from more than 2,000 years ago in Sichuan Province, which is known as "the Land of Abundance."

Since ancient times, Sichuan has had beautiful landscapes and plentiful products. The people have developed a folk art, Sichuan embroidery, which includes pastel shades and an elegant, exquisite and carefree style.

Sichuan embroidery is one of China's four most famous branches of embroidery, the others being Jiangsu, Hunan and Guangdong. Having formed its unique graceful bearing with its bright, clear colors and the style of Chinese-ink paintings, Sichuan embroidery has been honored as being "an art jewel of the Orient."

The embroidery is mainly produced in Chengdu, Chongqing, Wenjiang and Pixian and has a long history. The imperial government of the Han Dynasty set up an office in Chengdu to manage it. By the Song Dynasty, Sichuan embroidery made fast progress and was becoming more refined each day. A hanging scroll of Sichuan embroidery during this time, which exists to this day, is very exquisite and refined. Already, specialized production of Sichuan embroidery had developed in the Qing Dynasty. In Chengdu City many embroidery shops, where great painters and embroidery masters assembled, exquisite embroidery was being produced in large numbers, and Sichuan embroidery was honored as being "objects without equals in the world."

Learning Sichuan-style embroidery is difficult because the stitching and skills are special and complex. In the stitching methods alone, there are 12 categories and 132 varieties, the richest among the four most famous schools of embroidery in China. Alternating stitching methods results in numerous combinations, and different stitching skills result in subtle degrees of expression and effect and each stitch is impeccable. In Hibiscus with Carp, a famous traditional product in Sichuan embroidery, more than 30 stitching methods are needed for just one carp. In addition are other unique skills. Take "double-faced embroidery in varied colors" for instance; it is necessary to operate two embroidery needles at the same time and no error is allowed in the direction, sequence and strength of the thread. If one stitch is out of place it is highly likely that the whole embroidery may be destroyed.

Double-faced embroidery with designs of different colors and different shapes has a high degree of difficulty. For example, the embroidered screen named Zuo Wenjun Listening to Zither depicts the famous love story between Zhuo Wenjun, a widow, and Sima Xiangru (179-117 BC), a famous writer. The reverse side shows Zhuo Wenjun listening to a zither outside a curtain, while the player Sima Xiangru appears on the other side of the screen, playing the instrument behind the curtain. The two sides mesh perfectly into a complete story. The double-sided embroidery Puzzle by Ms. Kang Ning, a noted artist of Sichuan embroidery, is also a masterpiece. One side shows a beautiful lady in ancient costume and on the reverse is a skeleton. Ms. Kang worked for more than a year to complete the embroidery and used more than 100.000 stitches.