An "Exhibition of Han Embroidery Protection Achievements" began at the Wuhan Museum on Feb. 2 in which 182 works by three generations of the Rens, a Han embroidery family from Wuhan, are on display.

Citizen viewing exhibition at Wuhan Museum

Ren Benrong began to learn embroidery at the age of 12 on Xiuhua Street, a center for embroidery craftsmanship in old Hankou, and he has grown into a Han embroidery master, committed to passing on his skills to new generations and promoting the Han embroidery culture. His granddaughter, Wang Weijia, is one of his inheritors and has a number of her works in the exhibition. Wang says, "Some of the exhibits were produced by my grandpa in cooperation with my mum, some by myself under the guidance of my grandpa, and others on my own."

Citizen taking photos of Han embroidery 

Su, Xiang, Shu, and Han embroidery are the four main embroidery technologies in the Yangtze River Basin. Han embroidery was placed in the second group of the state level intangible cultural heritage list in 2008. "Han embroidery is more characterized by its decorative style and its intense red, purple, and green colors. It reflects the hot nature of Wuhan locals," says Ren Wei, daughter of Ren Benrong and a provincial-level representative inheritor of the embroidery.

The exhibition features both traditional and innovative works of Han embroidery. Among the highlights are bamboo fans which combine Han embroidery with the Guangxi bamboo-split fan, another intangible cultural heritage item. There are also several modern formal dresses embellished with brightly colored Han embroidery that demonstrate Ren Wei's ambition to bring the skill into the fashion world of today.

The exhibition runs to Feb. 28. Admission is free. Reservations are required.