Embroider Your Way Forward! Appreciate the Yao Ethnic Culture through its Time-honored Embroidery Skills

The Yao ethnic group in Ruyuan County is a minority group that has existed since time immemorial. The county is also known as the “Home to the World’s Yaos” as it’s inhabited by the ethnic branch of Guoshan Yaos. The Yao embroidery is characterized by its colorfulness, with “Pan Wang Yin” (King Pan’s Seal) being one of the most unique as it reflects a simple lifestyle and a unique ethnic culture. As an ancient craft skill of the Chinese nation, Yao embroidery can date back to the early days of King Pan, who was believed to be the ancestor of Yao. In the Yao language, embroidery is pronounced as “ceng cheng”, meaning “a splendid future can be embroidered with a needle and a thread”. For thousands of years, Yao embroidery has retained its distinctive ethnic characteristics of varied styles, bright colors, simple patterns and exquisite craftsmanship. From young girls to old women with grey hair, Yao women are skilled in the art of needle and thread, it is through their hands that this stunning traditional Chinese handicraft has passed down from generation to generation.