The Future of A Fading Chinese Tradition — Hunan Embroidery

Many traditional forms of Chinese art are facing the risk of becoming extinct.Few people are willing to inherit old, folk craftsmanship due to its hidden nature.Given my passion for Chinese traditional arts, I investigated embroidery's uniqueness and its critical role in China's art history and Cultural Revolution at Hunan Embroidery Research Institute.While traveling to rural towns where Hunan embroidery originated, I interviewed local folk artists.This paper focuses on the role that people's traditional cultural values play in the survival and uniqueness of Hunan embroidery, and the transforming power of modern industrial revolution on the economic status of Chinese folk arts now and in the future.The goal is to raise people's awareness about the importance of appreciating and perpetuating their cultural heritage after examining the status of Human embroidery in today's Chinese society.