Woman promotes unique embroidery techniques

After developing her embroidery skills to a high level, Mo Zongrong is now striving to carry this traditional handicraft forward by bringing more people into the field.

Mo Zongrong, an inheritor of Mo-style woolen embroidery, embroiders in her workshop. [Photo by Mo Zongrong for chinadaily.com.cn]

Rongxiu, or woolen embroidery, is embroidery with deep rootes in Yushan town, Linshu county in East China's Shandong province. With a history of hundreds of years, it has been a well-known Linshu calling card.

A woolen embroidery work by Mo Zongrong. [Photo by Mo Zongrong for chinadaily.com.cn]

Mo Zongrong is a representative inheritor of Mo-style woolen embroidery in Linshu.

According to her, the stitching technique for woolen embroidery is quite complicated and the work involves a rich variation of colors. Sometimes a single embroidery requires dozens of stitching methods and more than 100 colors, which cannot be achieved by machines.

Such characteristics make Mo-style woolen embroidery quite unique among other styles. They also happen to be what attracts young people to inherit these traditional techniques, she added.

With an open mind and creative ideas, Mo keeps thinking of new and innovative ways to improve her stitching techniques, and has even taken inspiration from historical figures, oil painting, cartoons, and calligraphy works.

In recent years, Mo has been occupied with the industry's development, as she has now combined her workshop with e-commerce business. Her products are sold in more than 20 countries and regions including the United States, Japan, and Italy.

She has taught more than 4,000 people in her hometown the techniques of this excellent craft. Many local villagers have seen their income increase thanks to Mo's innovative business model. (Edited by Xue Xinyi)