Handicrafts in Chengdu

　　Shu brocade was originally most popular among the common people, but gradually developed into an industry after the mid-Qing Dynasty. At that time, Jiulong Lane and Kejia Lane were well-known places of production, and county governments also established embroidery facilities to produce official uniforms, gifts, clothes, dowries, curtains and screens. There are more than 100 types of Shu embroidery, which utilize soft brocades and colorful silk threads. Popular designs include flowers, birds, worms, fish, mountains, rivers, and Chinese characters. Some famous works, which have been named state treasures, include the double-faced embroidery "Lotus and Carps," and the double-faced embroidery "Bamboo and Roosters."

　　Chengdu was also a center for the production of lacquer works, such as the large coffins which have been excavated from streets which currently are home to various businesses. The coffins are relics from the ancient governors of Sichuan province. Other rare lacquer works unearthed in Chengdu are from the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) Lacquer works are made of wood, raw lacquer, gold, silver, aluminum, tin, gems and various mineral dyes, and are mostly finished by hand. The handicraft requires a number of skills, including carving, embedding, stuffing, painting, and pasting. Craftsmen use thick, think, polished and unpolished threads to form traditional Chinese pictures and modern designs, such as pavilions.

　　Woven bamboo works utilize porcelain, enveloped with woven bamboo strips, thin as hair and soft as silk.

　　Other handicrafts include silk fans made from only one silk cocoon, woven palm crafts, bamboo carvings, dough figures, candy drawings, and more.