Chinese embroidery
History. Chinese embroidery has a long history since the Neolithic age. Because of the quality of silk fibre, most Chinese fine embroideries are made in silk. Some ancient vestiges of silk production have been found in various Neolithic sites dating back 5,000–6,000 years in China. Currently the earliest real sample of silk embroidery discovered in China is from a tomb in Mashan in Hubei province identified with the Zhanguo period (5th–3rd centuries BC). After the opening of Silk Route in the Han dynasty, the silk production and trade flourished. In the 14th century, the Chinese silk embroidery production  reached its high peak. Several major silk brocade styles had been developed, like Song Jin (宋锦 Song brocade) in Suzhou, Yun Jin (云锦 Cloud brocade) in Nanjing and Shu Jin (蜀锦 Shu brocade) in Sichuan. Today, most handwork has been replaced by machinery, but some very sophisticated production is still hand-made. Modern Chinese silk embroidery by hand is still common in southern China. Genres. Ethnic styles. Other Chinese ethnic groups, like Bai, Miao, Zhuang and Tibetan people also have their own style of embroidery, which usually depicts a mythical or religious topic.