For more than 2,000 years, the women of the Huayao people, a branch of the Yao ethnic group living in the remote mountains of Hunan Province in southern China, have been preserving and perfecting the traditional embroidery craft of Huayao cross-stitch. The craft reached its peak between the 14th and 19th centuries and has been passed down from generation to generation ever since.

Huayao cross-stitch is renowned for its double-sided embroidery, with both the front and back displaying equally neat and intricate patterns. A single traditional skirt can require hundreds of thousands of stitches and take months—or even years—to complete.

As the Huayao people historically had no written language, cross-stitch has long served as a "wordless history book," recording their traditions, daily lives, and cultural memory. In 2006, the craft was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage item. Over the centuries, its patterns, colors, and techniques have continued to evolve.

In recent years, Longhui County, the heartland of the craft, has adopted a three-pronged approach to its preservation and promotion by boosting rural tourism, digitizing traditional techniques, and introducing the craft into schools. Once hidden in remote mountain villages, Huayao cross-stitch has now gained recognition across China and beyond.