The three routes of the Silk Road ran between mountain ranges, traversed desolate desert areas, and wound over snow-capped peaks in Xinjiang. It was the only way for China to get in touch with the West between the 2nd century B.C. and the 10th century A.D. Although sections of the Silk Road have long been buried by desert sand, the dry local climate has preserved sites and relics for several thousand years. Some relics are as good as they were centuries ago.
Notes：1）corridor走廊；2）Mediterranean地中海的；3）snow-capped积雪盖顶的
6.什么是中国手工丝绣？
What is handmade Chinese embroidery?
Embroidery is a traditional handicraft art with a long tradition. Embroidery products, made from soft satin and colored threads, are stitched by hand, and the varied stitching methods create unique local styles.
The discovery of silk is as early as 5,000 years ago, and the production of silk thread and fabrics gave rise to the art of embroidery. In 1958, a piece of silk was found in a tomb of the State of Chu dating back to the Warring Sates Period (475 B. C.—221B. C.). It is embroidered with a dragon-and-phoenix design, and it is the earliest piece of Chinese embroidery ever unearthed.
There are four famous kinds of embroidery in China. They include Sichuan Embroidery (蜀绣) from Sichuan Province, Suzhou Embroidery (苏绣) from Suzhou area, Xiang Embroidery (湘绣) from Hunan Province and Yue Embroidery (粤绣) from Guangdong Province. The four local embroideries borrow elements from each other, but look different. Suzhou Embroidery is famous for its extremely delicate stitches, Xiang for its rich colors, and Yue for its complicated patterns.
Local folk arts provide patterns for different embroidery style, and traditional Chinese landscape painting also offers favorite subjects. Designs on embroidery include flowers, birds, landscapes, fish, worms and human figures. The products themselves are used as quilt covers, pillow covers, back cushions, tablecloths, scarves and handkerchiefs. During the Daoguang Period (道光年间) of the Qing Dynasty, Sichuan embroidery industry took big strides forward. Its needlework displayed even stitches, bright threads, and close and soft texture. Each county-level government set up an embroidery management office to take charge of the local embroidery business. Their main products were official clothes, gifts and dowries, as well as colorful daily clothes and necessities.
Notes：1）embroidery刺绣；2）stitching缝纫；3）quilt被褥；4）pillow枕头；5）cushion坐垫；6）stride阔步
7.什么是双面绣？
What is double-sided embroidery?
Current embroidery methods carry forward solid old traditions, but it also makes some innovations in stitching and modeling. Traditional embroidery needlework displays patterns only on one side, but presently artists produce two-sided embroidery pieces, stitching different patterns on either side of the same satin cloth. In some amazing designs, one side displays a cat, and the other a fish. Both figures are done on a single piece of transparent fabric and both are completed at the same time.
Notes：1）needlework缝纫；刺绣；2）satin缎子
8.如何鉴赏中国手工绣品？
How can we appreciate Chinese handmade embroidery?
Have you ever seen such a lovely fish or a cat on a piece of silk cloth? The fur or scales look quite real. You can see the individual hairs, and the eyes look at you. Just imagine embroidering such a delicate figure with finely silk threads and tiny needles! There are no ugly knots and things on the back, and they are usually done by hand.
The art of Chinese painting has been applied to embroidery. An artist works indoors using indirect lighting to illuminate her or his canvas, which is mounted on a frame. Famous paintings are reproduced precisely with needles and silk thread! The result looks like a painting from distance, but embroidery at close range.
The following three points are to be noted:
a. Quality is of the utmost importance. To create a high quality piece, an artist needs to split a single silk thread into several thinner threads and embroider layer after layer with threads of a variety of colors in an attempt to reach the wonderful final effect. The work is extremely time-consuming and requires much hardwork and patience.
b. Artistic Value. Most collected embroidery pieces that are considered top quality are based on classic paintings.
c. Size. It usually takes an artist or group of artists several months or even years to complete a high-quality large piece. The larger the size of an embroidered piece, the higher is its value.
Notes：1）embroider绣（花纹）；2）illuminate照亮；3）time-consuming费时的
9.什么是中国“锦”？
What is silk brocade?