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- Competition participants concentrate on their embroidery work.
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- Participants of the junior category work on their pieces.
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- Embroidery is an important element for the traditional cheongsam.
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- A close-up of an embroidered lotus – a cultural symbol of purity in life.
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- A woman models a traditional embroidered Chinese wedding gown.
SIBU: The over 3,000-year-old traditional art of Chinese needlework embroidery is in danger of extinction due to an increasing reliance on machine embroidery.
Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) Chinese embroidery competition organising chairperson Chin Ngeng Fung warned that the art-form must be popularised among the young or would soon die out.
“Efforts must be made to save the embroidery art, and the fine tradition must not be taken over by the machine. Let the young generations return to pick it up,” she said.
She proposed Chinese-medium schools reintroduce the art-form.
“I was told by the elders they learnt the art in school, but it was scrapped. Even during my school days, it was not popular anymore,” she said.
Chin also called on organisations under the United Chinese Association to pool resources together to promote needlework embroidery.
“In the olden days, Chinese maidens must learn the needlework for their wedding, and the handiwork was also a gift of high respect and honour in events like birthdays of the elders,” she said.
The art of Chinese embroidery actually began during the Zhou Dynasty among men.
However, as time passed, the art-form became more the domain of women because their needlework was more refined.
The earliest example of Chinese silk embroidery was a ritual garment recovered from a fourth century BC tomb in Mashan in the present-day Hubei Province.
Chin, who is from the Sibu Friendship Association, said the association has promoted needlework embroidery at BCF since the festival began 15 years ago.
“Response over the decade has been overwhelming but hosting it annually is insufficient to save the fading art. Concerted efforts must be made by the schools and the community,” she stressed.
This year’s Chinese embroidery competition attracted 44 participants.
There were two categories – needlework of 10 Chinese characters and embroidering a flower on a stalk.
“Three hours were given in the first category, and for the flower needlework, the participants could bring it home to complete,” added Chin.