Hunan Embroidery. Hunan Embroidery Factory
86.5 × 118.5 cm, 1972
In the 1960s, to combat chronic drought, residents of Linzhou in Henan Province launched the construction of the Red Flag Canal—a monumental infrastructure project carved by hand into the cliffs of the Taihang Mountains. Artists from the Hunan Embroidery Factory traveled to the site for field sketches, later transforming their observations into embroidery designs. In the foreground, barefoot workers with iron shovels tread the narrow canal path, surrounded by steep precipices. The background unfolds into vast, undulating mountain ranges, evoking both the grandeur of the natural landscape and the determination to reshape it. The work reflects the era’s artistic emphasis on collective labor and political purpose. The piece employs traditional stitches such as Straight Stitch and Long and Short Stitch.