One Stitch of Embroidery Guards the Peony Road

Qilu Qingzhou, Lu embroidery has lasted for hundreds of years. The Shen family has inherited the ancient method of embroidery from generation to generation. The mountain peony pattern hides the unique folk customs of Qilu. Every stitch and thread is the intangible cultural heritage left by the ancestors. Shen Awan has been studying Lu embroidery with her elders since she was a child, and is well versed in the art of pile embroidery with layers of velvet and the interplay of virtuality and reality. The fellow Zhang family coveted the Shen family's peony pattern. They only copied its appearance without learning the core of the ancient method, and crude imitations flowed into the market. Imitation embroidery not only robs customers, but also causes people to mistake shallow fakes for the real Lu embroidery. For Shen Awan, victory or defeat does not depend on business profits and losses. She keeps the needle and the thread, not for profit, but just to preserve the Dui embroidery skills that are on the verge of being misunderstood. She preaches with needlework and rectifies the origin, so that the authentic style of Luxiu Mountain Peony can be continued from generation to generation and will not be buried by time.