Su Embroidery (Wuxi Fine Micro-Embroidery)

Wuxi is one of the cradles of Su embroidery, and its local tradition is known as fine micro-embroidery. In the Ming dynasty the Hua family's piled-gauze embroidery was chosen as tribute, and in the Qing the Wuxi fine style developed further into distinctive techniques such as boudoir, horsehair, piled-gauze and random-stitch embroidery.

Fine micro-embroidery is known for tiny formats, exquisite imagery and superb stitchwork, often capturing figures, scenes and patterns within a minute area to achieve inch-sized people and bean-sized horses, including double-sided micro-embroidery.

As an expansion project of Su embroidery, Wuxi fine micro-embroidery entered the second batch of the national intangible heritage list in 2008 and represents the most miniature, refined branch of Jiangnan embroidery.