Editor’s Note: This article is produced in collaboration with the Chongqing Institute of Foreign Studies as part of a series of ongoing reports exploring the city’s abundant resources in intangible cultural heritage.

Sha-Ci Random Stitch Embroidery.

Can you imagine an art form in which the boundless wonders of the world are woven from the finest threads? Such is the magic of Sha-Ci Random Stitch Embroidery.

As a shining gem of intangible cultural heritage, Sha-Ci Random Stitch Embroidery carries countless stories and deep emotional resonance. Unlike regular embroidery, its technique is strikingly distinctive. Breaking away from the conventional pursuit of “tight stitches and aligned threads,” it embraces an intricate method of “random stitching,” defined by the artful interplay of crisscrossed and overlapping threads in varied lengths, colors, and layers. The beauty of “random stitching” lies precisely in its apparent “randomness,” which still follows an internal logic to achieve unity, balance, and vibrant variation.

Yan Yongxia is among the inheritors of Sha-Ci Random Stitch Embroidery. Driven by her passion for needlework, she mastered both Shu embroidery and random-stitch techniques. Later, she and her husband, Luo Shoujun, established an embroidery workshop where they shared ideas and refined their craft. Through continued exploration, Yan Yongxia integrated painting principles into embroidery, using threads to create layered colors and dynamic light-and-shadow effects—ultimately developing the technique known as “thread painting.” Thanks to her innovative adaptation of traditional skills, her piece A Scene of the Vegetable Garden won the gold medal at the first Sichuan–Chongqing Intangible Cultural Heritage Embroidery Contest.

Even after receiving recognition, Yan Yongxia and her family have remained dedicated to giving back to society. For years, they have provided free materials, tools, and public training for people with disabilities, welcomed apprentices to support employment, and cultivated new talent to preserve and advance Sha-Ci Random Stitch Embroidery. They have also established an experience museum, offering exhibitions and free hands-on sessions for citizens and tourists—sparking greater public interest and appreciation for this cherished art form.

Each strand of thread, like an agile brushstroke, sketches the contours of profound Chinese culture across the vast canvas of history. As long as someone pauses—even briefly—with curiosity and wonder, this intangible cultural heritage will continue to draw new life. Like an ancient river, it flows through time, never fading, never drying, forever shimmering with the brilliance of tradition.

Chinese script: Lan Caixia
Tutored by: Chen Fangyi
Translation: Wu Liang
Tutored by: Jiang Jun, Lu Siying
Voice-over: Yang Yu