Ancient Hair Embroidery Technique Thrives Through Innovation

　2025-06-12

YANCHENG, June 11 (Xinhua) — Dongtai Hair Embroidery, originating from the folk custom of using human hairs as thread to embroider Buddha in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) of China, has a history of over 1,300 years. The craft, which once was on the wane over the past years, was revived by Suzhou embroidery institute in the 1950s and reborn and developed in Dongtai City afterwards. In 2021, Dongtai Hair Embroidery was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages.

Chen Boyu, an inheritor of the art, has been designing hair embroidery for over 40 years. On the basis of traditional patterns, he has also created patterns which reflect local culture and folk customs, and won various national and provincial prizes.

Thanks to artists over the decades, the hair embroidery has embraced numerous innovations, such as using dyed hairs instead of black hairs and adopting different stitch techniques.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang

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