[Video provided to en.nantong.gov.cn]

Nantong emulated embroidery originated from Suzhou embroidery and is mainly popular in Nantong, Suzhou, and Changzhou in East China's Jiangsu province.

It was created by Suzhou embroidery expert Shen Shou (1874-1921), and is thus known as Shen embroidery. In 1910, Shen completed the Portrait of the Empress of Italy, which won awards at the Nanyang Industrial Exposition in Nanjing and the Turin World Fair and was presented to the Empress of Italy as a national gift.

In 1914, Zhang Jian, a local industrial magnate and scholar, founded a technical training center for female workers and invited Shen to give lessons. Shen integrated Suzhou embroidery with the needling methods of Japanese embroidery and the light principles of European oil paintings, creating vivid emulated embroidery.

Xue Yi Xiu Pu (Xue Yi Embroidery Book), dictated by Shen and compiled by Zhang, is a relatively systematic and complete theoretical work on the art of embroidery that sums up 40 years of Shen's practical experience. 

In November 2009, the Shen embroidery work President Obama's Family Portrait created by the Shen Shou Art Museum was presented by Hu Jintao, then Chinese president, to Barack Obama, who was visiting China. In March 2013, the embroidery work Portrait of President Putin, also produced by the museum, was presented to President Putin as a national gift. The two works won unanimous praise from the leaders of the US and Russia.

Nantong emulated embroidery was included in the first list of intangible cultural heritage items by the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government in 2007. In June 2008, it was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage item.