Cultural Empowerment Enhances Rural Revitalization in Feixian County, Shandong

LINYI, China, Sept. 30, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

As a treasured form of folk art deeply rooted in the rich cultural soil of the Yimeng region of Shandong Province, Yimeng-style embroidery is widely practiced across the area. Feixian County embroidery — a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage with a millennium-old legacy — has been revitalized through innovation, becoming a distinctive emblem of rural development and cultural confidence.

 

As one of the representative techniques of Lu embroidery (Shandong embroidery), Feixian County embroidery is distinguished by its unique and diverse stitching methods, striking color contrasts, and auspicious symbolism, all imbued with the strong rustic charm of the Yimeng region. However, this ancient craft once faced significant market challenges. Bian Chengfei, an inheritor of Feixian County embroidery, recognized that innovation is essential to bring tradition into modern life. She boldly reformed the craft, skillfully incorporating contemporary aesthetics while preserving its core techniques. This approach rendered the embroidered works both elegant and rustic, successfully capturing the admiration of younger generations.

 

Driven by innovation, Feixian County embroidery has not only gained popularity domestically but also ventured overseas, becoming a coveted cultural commodity in global cultural exchanges. From Sweden to Canada and South Korea, Bian has showcased her works at international exhibitions, where they were swiftly sold out and collected by numerous overseas museums. Bulk orders from overseas Chinese and enthusiastic admiration from international friends have turned embroidered tiger-head hats and scented sachets — filled with auspicious meanings — into coveted “luxury items” abroad.

 

With every stitch, this millennia-old craft is rejuvenated, bridging tradition and modernity, as well as the rural and the global. Today, through initiatives such as establishing intangible cultural heritage workshops, creating live-streaming studios, and promoting the craft in schools and communities, Feixian County embroidery has not only created job opportunities and increased villagers’ income but also ensured the dynamic transmission of intangible cultural heritage. It has injected profound cultural impetus into rural revitalization, painting a new picture of mutual reinforcement between cultural preservation and industrial prosperity.

 

Source: Feixian County People’s Government