Beijing Embroidery, also known as Palace Embroidery, was usually stitched for the royal court in ancient China. It is considered one of ‘the eight consummate handicrafts of Beijing’. To make an embroidery work, an artist would select an elaborate painting, and then stitch the pattern using needles and colorful threads of silk. The result is a vivid and beautiful pattern on fabric.

During my visit to the Baigong Handicraft Museum, I found a Beijing embroidery shop on the first floor. An elderly man welcomed me immediately upon entering the shop. As we chatted, I realized that he had been making embroideries for 50 years! I can certainly feel his experience in his works.

All embroideries on display were made by him or his apprentices. Each piece usually takes 15 days or so to make, a long, dedicated process indeed.

I found two pieces of empress’ wear (RMB 490) in the style of the Qing Dynasty standing on a showcase. The bright, fine patterns of peonies and phoenixes looked very beautiful. There was also a matching emperor’s dragon robe in stock.

Other items include a variety of hanging embroideries with such patterns as the Great Wall, pandas, flowers, and cranes. Each costs RMB 200. The hand-made children’s tiger-head shoes, each with an embroidered lovely tiger’s head, cost RMB 50 each.

What I appreciated

Exquisite embroidery, emperor’s robe

What customers appreciate

Chinese traditional works of art, fine embroideries

When I entered Chinese Embroidery Artistic in the Xuanwu district, I met an American tourist named Sara. Sara was about to wrap up her China visit, and wished to bring some souvenirs for her family and friends. She was very glad that a local friend pointed out this exquisite embroidery shop.

Chinese Embroidery Artistic sells a large variety of Chinese embroidery from Suzhou, embroidery capital of China. The people there have weaved embroideries for over 2000 years. Their works aim to create a deep sense of transparency, depth, or motion. Each piece may take weeks, months, or even years to complete.

Although Sara did not know the history behind Suzhou embroidery, she could still appreciate the product. ’I am totally overwhelmed by the fine work’, Sara said. She happily bought several pieces, all while listening to the owner explain a bit about the works in English.

The shop offers cross-stitch and double-sided embroidery on various subjects: animals, flowers, landscapes, and portraits. Prices start from as little as RMB 150.

What I appreciate

Exquisite work, good service

What customers appreciate

Amazing designs, reasonable prices

Guwuxiuhuang is a very famous brand of Art Embroidery in China. It has many outlets in Beijing, and I visited the one on Zhongguancun Walking Street. From the outside, you can see the beautiful embroidery products on display.

The Guwuxiuhuang art embroidery creates works of art by silk sewing. These works all are hand-made in Suzhou, which is the hometown of the embroidery. According to the shop assistant, the embroidery products can be divided into 5 grades according to the quality: dragon, Shenshi, Guwuxiuhuang, nvhongfang, and Suzhou. Higher quality grades use better silk.

The artworks on display feature many different designs: people, animals, plants, and landscapes. The shop assistant recommends an artwork made of Shenshi featuring a mountain cat. It looks incredibly vivid with a size of 20cmx50cm. While, it is not cheap, and will cost you RMB 20,000.

Customers can ask for custom designed art embroidery. They can provide photos or pictures, and then select the grade of silk. Then, the shop assistants can create embroidery products look the same as the photos or pictures. Prices range from RMB 2 to RMB 40 per square centimeter, depending on the grade of silk. A made-to-order art embroidery takes an upward of 4 months to make. Don't worry, they can ship the product to your home.

What I appreciated:

Exquisite hand-sewn designs

What customers appreciate:

Unique, high quality, great for collection

With 56 ethnic groups, Chinese art comes from many different cultures and backgrounds. And Chinese handicrafts you see in stores include designs from many different ethnic groups. All of their cultures contribute to the richness in the design of Chinese handicrafts today.

The Panjiayuan area Mona Antique Gallery specializes in authentic handicrafts and accessories of various Chinese ethnic groups in southern China, including Miao, Dong, and Yi.

Miao ethnic group is famous for its silver craftsmanship. The store features various silver ornaments, which the Miaos use for hats, clothes, necklaces and bracelets.  For great embroidery works, the store offers the embroidery made by the women of Dong using techniques handed down through generations. For lacquer paintings and drawings, Yi artists provide high-quality aesthetically pleasing works.

As expected from a store with so much to choose from, prices vary a great deal. For gifts and souvenirs, you can get many items for under RMB 100.  Some of the more intricate works, though, can cost more than RMB 10,000.

What I appreciate

Large selection of ethnic handicrafts

What customers appreciate

Large selection of ethnic handicrafts and reasonable prices

Huaxia Arts and Crafts Shop is built in an antique style. Two white stone lions are keeping guard at the door. The shop specializes in old jewelry, embroidery, old porcelain, classical Chinese furniture, old pocket watches, etc.

Getting into the shop, a customer feels a serene and agreeable artistic atmosphere. Every article on display is appealing and worthy of appreciation. Old jewelry such as jadeite eardrops and necklace pendants is displayed in showcases. Delicate and lifelike embroidery works hang on the wall. They cost RMB 380 to RMB 10000. Among them, a yellow pattern named “Dragon Gown” priced at RMB 8500 looked very attractive. A cloisonné work named “Elephant Carrying Vase on Back” cost RMB 190. Most old porcelain items on display were made in the Qing dynasty. Prices for old pocket watches range from RMB 1800 to RMB 8800.

What customers appreciate

Old and exquisite works of art, traditional Chinese handicrafts, a good place for collectors.

Jinxiu Chaindeng carries embroidery mainly. Embroidery is a traditional Chinese artwork involving embroidering beautiful patterns on silk or clothes. Handmade embroideries are much more expensive than machine-made ones.

The quality of the embroidery patterns offered here is quite good. The material is very soft, and patterns are very diaphanous.

The shop owner, a young man, is born in America. He speaks English fluently. He came back to China in 1997, and engaged in exporting embroidery he had designed himself. His work combines modern Western culture and Chinese traditional culture perfectly, and finds a very popular echo overseas. It was even featured in a Japanese economic newspaper. Many Japanese tourists come to shop here.

Prices for embroidered Chinese style clothes range from RMB 200 to RMB 450. Prices for embroidered bags range from RMB 20 to RMB300. Excellent value for money. The same products sold overseas would cost 5 to 7 more

What I appreciated:
High quality products much cheaper than overseas, hospitable native English-speaking owner who tells you the inside story on any product you like.