Embroidery, called needle embroidery in ancient times, is to sew patterns on cloth with needles. The process of embroidering a designed pattern on a textile to form a pattern with embroidery marks. It was called "haze" and "needle haze" in ancient times. Because embroidery is mostly made by women, it is an important part of needlework.

There is a tradition that women are good at embroidery. The prevalence of Jiangsu local silk, superior geographical environment, rich brocade and colorful flower lines have created favorable conditions for the development of Suzhou embroidery. In the long historical development process, Suzhou embroidery has formed a local style with beautiful patterns, harmonious colors, clear lines, lively stitches and fine embroidery, and is known as the "Oriental Pearl".

In the Tang Dynasty, Su Jaw's Miscellanies of Duyang recorded that Niangniang was skilled and could embroider seven volumes of Crane Travel on a ruler silk. The technological level of Guangdong embroidery in the Tang Dynasty has been extraordinary. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Jiugao, the envoy of Lingnan, presented high-quality embroidery to Yang Guifei, and was promoted to the third-class title, showing the appreciation of Cantonese embroidery at that time at the top. By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Guangdong embroidery had become famous overseas because of the convenient trade along the coast of Guangdong.

Shu embroidery, also known as "Sichuan embroidery", refers to Sichuan embroidery represented by Chengdu. According to the Records of Huayang Guochang Canal in Jin Dynasty, Shu embroidery was very famous at that time, and Shu embroidery and Shu brocade were regarded as famous products in Shu. Most of them are daily necessities, mostly flowers, birds, insects and fish, folk auspicious words and traditional decorative patterns, which are quite festive and embroidered on quilts, pillowcases, clothes, shoes and painted screens.

Xiang embroidery is the general name of embroidery products centered on Changsha, Hunan. Xiang embroidery is characterized by embroidery with wool (no yarn). In fact, the velvet thread is treated with solution to prevent pilling. This kind of embroidery is called "fine wool embroidery" locally. Xiang embroidery is mostly based on Chinese painting, and its form is vivid and realistic. There used to be a reputation that "embroidered birds can smell, embroidered tigers can run and embroidered people can express their feelings".

In order to maintain and develop the local embroidery skills, many places have set up corresponding research institutions and allocated special funds to support and promote the collation and research of embroidery skills. This ancient shroud promoted the development of China silk.