Shawls, also called cloud shoulders, are mostly made of satin and brocade. Most cloud shoulders are composed of four kinds of moire patterns, which are called four-in-one wishful pattern, willow pattern and lotus pattern. There are auspicious propositions such as rich peony, long life, and more than one year. It was very popular in Ming and Qing dynasties, and it was mostly used in wedding banquets and other occasions.

Shawl is a kind of clothing developed after the Sui Dynasty (58 1-6 18). It surrounds the neck and is worn on the shoulders. By the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), shawls had spread to all walks of life, especially when they got married, and became an indispensable dress for young women. Later, shawls were mostly worn when 18 years old or married. The form of shawl is mostly "four in one" shape, and there are also strips. A shawl is generally composed of two layers of eight hanging clouds, each of which is embroidered with flowers, birds and insects, or with operas and stories. A beautiful shawl takes a long time to embroider, and its exquisite craftsmanship is amazing. There are many kinds of stitches in shawl embroidery, such as arm-pulling, needle-connecting, needle-rolling, needle-loosening, thread-nailing, punching, gold-winding, needle-grabbing and Qi Zhen.