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2025.11.14 16:26 GMT+8

Cantonese embroidery brings lychee culture to life

Updated 2025.11.14 16:26 GMT+8
CGTN

Lychees have long inspired Chinese poets and artists, appearing in poetry, paintings, sculptures and textile art throughout history. In Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Cantonese embroidery – known as Guangxiu – has elevated this cultural symbol with its exquisite craftsmanship and distinct aesthetics, turning the lychee into a vivid emblem of local heritage.

Tan Zhanpeng, a representative inheritor of the Guangdong provincial intangible cultural heritage item of Guangxiu /VCG

A file photo shows a lychee design being stitched in the tradition of Cantonese embroidery. /VCG

Embroiderer Tan Zhanpeng, a representative inheritor of the Guangdong provincial intangible cultural heritage item of Guangxiu, works alongside his mother, Chen Shaofang, one of China's first national-level inheritors of the craft. Together, they have created numerous lychee-themed works that not only showcase the family's refined skills but also continue the legacy of one of China's finest traditional art forms.

A file photo shows a lychee embroidery work in Tan Zhanpeng's studio in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. /VCG

A file photo shows a close-up of a lychee embroidery work in Tan Zhanpeng's studio in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. /VCG

At the heart of Guangxiu is its distinctive "water-line spacing" technique. By keeping a precise 0.5-millimeter gap between stitches in adjacent sections, embroiderers create subtle hollowed lines that enhance depth and translucency. This method is especially effective in portraying the lychee's bumpy rind as well as the delicate forms of flowers, birds and insects.

A file photo shows a lychee embroidery work in Tan Zhanpeng's studio in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. /VCG

A file photo shows the tools used for embroidery in Tan Zhanpeng's studio in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. /VCG

In every stitch lies the inheritance of skill; in every thread, the continuity of culture. Guangxiu is more than craftsmanship – it is a heartfelt tribute to nature's beauty and the enduring spirit of southern China.

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