Suzhou embroidery featuring Buddha goes on show in Zhejiang

A piece of Suzhou embroidery work displayed at the exhibition, Aug 17, 2017. [Photo/art.china.cn]

A series of Suzhou embroidery works featuring Buddha, Bodhisattva and Buddhism text were showcased at Zhejiang Buddhism Academy, Zhejiang province, on Aug 17.

Titled "Endless Joy", the exhibition displayed 39 pieces of embroidered Buddha.

One work, featuring Buddha Shakyamuni's eight steps from birth to nirvana, took seven female embroiders six years to finish. Each period was an independent embroidery piece.

Another embroidery work featuring Tankasri Avalokitesvara, or Water and Moon Kuan-yin, was based on the fresco in Fahai Temple that was built in Beijing in the Ming Dynasty (1638-1644).

Often a simple line on the script needs 1,000 stitches by an embroiderer.