Chen Boyu

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Chen Boyu, Male, Han, from Yanchengshidongtai, Jiangsu, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Faxiu (Ⅶ-127). The tradition is documented in Yanchengshidongtai, Jiangsu. Within the regional tradition and school record of Faxiu in Yanchengshidongtai, Jiangsu: It is now mainly distributed in Dongtai City, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, and the surrounding area. It is appreciated by discerning people and is a fine item for collection and gift-giving; it effectively promotes local economic development and boosts local employment, and has considerable socio-cultural and economic value. It originated in the Tang-dynasty custom of devout women embroidering Buddhist images with strands of their hair, and has a history of more than 1,300 years.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Chen Boyu is anchored in the documented technical standards of Faxiu in Yanchengshidongtai, Jiangsu. Within the documented technical tradition of Faxiu in Yanchengshidongtai, Jiangsu: Dongtai hair embroidery, also called 'ink embroidery' (moxiu), is a traditional embroidery craft transmitted in the Dongtai area of Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province; it uses the hair of young women from the local coastal region, strands more than 30 centimeters long, as 'thread', worked with the traditional stitches of Suzhou embroidery. Dongtai hair embroidery uses human hair as its material; the choice is unusual, and the hair is resistant to rot, moths, and fading. Its pictures emphasize monochrome line drawing, in a style that is plain and elegant, richly moist and beautiful. Its works come in many types, including monochrome ink embroidery, tinted embroidery, double-sided embroidery, and double-sided different-color embroidery, and in many forms, including long hair-embroidered scrolls, baby-hair embroidery, and micro hair embroidery. To enrich the expressive power of the works, artisans build on the traditional stitches and, taking account of the fact that hair is relatively stiff and of limited color and is suited to rendering the furry texture of animals, shorten the stitch spacing and tighten the line intervals so that the stitches lie close to the fabric and enhance the sense of texture; at the same time they have developed rolling, twisting, wrapping, and covering stitches, so that the density, dryness and wetness, distance and nearness, and lightness and depth of the works carry the flavor of brushwork. Its themes are rich and fine works come forth in succession, covering religious stories, historical legends, famous paintings of past dynasties, and portraits of notable people; representative works include Along the River During the Qingming Festival, the Diamond Sutra, and One Hundred Horses. The long hair-embroidered scroll The Prosperous Scene of Gusu is at present the longest and largest hair-embroidered masterpiece in China; 'as fine as a mosquito's eyelash, its workmanship rivaling that of spirits', it may truly be called a treasure of traditional Chinese culture and art. The production process of Dongtai hair embroidery is complex, and each work is usually completed through the cooperation of artisans in several specialties. First a designer produces the sample draft; then a painter traces the pattern onto the stretched fabric, such as taffeta; afterward the embroiderers select high-quality human hair and, threading their needles, embroider it into beautiful images; after mounting, the piece becomes an exquisite handicraft. Dongtai hair embroidery is transmitted from master to apprentice, and its artisans are mainly distributed in the Dongtai area of Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province. Dongtai hair embroidery is a comprehensive craft involving calligraphy, painting, seal carving, embroidery, engraving, and many other fields; with its long history and strong regional cultural character, it embodies the profound depth of China's traditional fine arts. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Records of Process Steps": The production process of Dongtai hair embroidery is complex, and each work is usually completed through the cooperation of artisans in several specialties. "Nuns embroidering with their own hair": Beginning with Tang-dynasty nuns embroidering Buddhas in their own hair, the practice has run for more than thirteen centuries. "Stitch density chosen to the hair": Because hair is stiff, sparse in colour and right for suggesting fur, the stitches are set closer so the strands lie flat and read as texture. "Rolling, revolving, wrapping and looping": Rolling, revolving, wrapping and looping extend the range so that tone, texture and depth carry the brush feel of painting.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Chen Boyu was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Faxiu, with Yanchengshidongtai, Jiangsu as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Faxiu in Yanchengshidongtai, Jiangsu: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Yanchengshidongtai, Jiangsu as its declared area, and Dongtai Faxiu Association as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Chenboyu (Yanchengshidongtai, Jiangsu) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Chenboyu · China ICH Official Archive