Stitching the Soul of Suzhou: Preservation and Transformation of Su Embroidery as Intangible Cultural Heritage

This article critically examines the preservation and contemporary transformation of Su Xiu (Su Embroidery), a distinctive form of Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) rooted in Suzhou. Renowned for its technical sophistication and artistic precision, Su Embroidery today operates within complex tensions between historical preservation, market adaptation, and state-led cultural governance. Adopting a secondary qualitative research design, the study synthesizes existing ethnographic research, policy documents, and artisan interviews to analyze how Su Embroidery is produced, represented, and sustained in modern China. Drawing on analytical perspectives centered on gendered labor, cultural hybridity, and heritage governance, the findings reveal that while institutional preservation frameworks emphasize authenticity and codification, artisans increasingly adopt hybrid practices that integrate traditional techniques with contemporary aesthetics, digital technologies, and entrepreneurial strategies. The study further highlights the pivotal yet under-recognized role of women, who function not only as transmitters of inherited skills but also as designers, innovators, and cultural entrepreneurs within evolving craft economies. At the same time, state heritage policies position Su Embroidery as an emblem of national identity and cultural soft power, raising critical questions regarding agency, representation, and creative autonomy. By conceptualizing Intangible Cultural Heritage as a negotiated and dynamic social process shaped by the interaction of institutions, markets, practitioners, and audiences, this article contributes to critical heritage scholarship and offers insights into more inclusive and adaptive approaches to safeguarding living cultural traditions.