Has your mother or grandmother ever made embroidered (刺绣的) clothes for you? In the past, Chinese people often embroidered on hats, shoes and dresses to show the beauty of nature or the best wishes to others. Some girls would even embroider on a sachet (香囊) as a gift for their lovers.

Shu embroidery comes from Sichuan. It is said that Shu embroidery is the oldest kind of embroidery in China. People began to make it during the Han Dynasty (206 BC－220 AD). They sold it to other countries such as ancient Rome.

Shu embroidery takes time. It might take as long as a whole day to finish just 10 cm. Embroidery workers need to divide each silk thread into more than 10 or even 30 smaller threads. Each smaller thread is thinner than a human hair.

Meng Dezhi, who used to work at the Chengdu Shu Embroidery Factory, has been making Shu embroidery for 40 years. She loves this form of art and wants more people to try it, so she gives lessons in universities. She said, “Although the work is hard, Shu embroidery stands for thousands of years of Sichuan culture. It is a symbol of Chinese culture as well.”

While living in China, I have learned new things about vegetables. Although many vegetables here are not new to me, the way they are cooked is quite different.

I had eaten eggplant in Australia before, but as soon as I tried a Chinese-style eggplant dish, I felt like I was eating a new type of vegetable. In the West, eggplant is often grilled (烤) so it becomes soft. However, it doesn’t taste like the Chinese dish. In China, people add many things like garlic and spring onions, which make it truly mouthwatering. That’s really wonderful!

Another special thing about Chinese vegetables is the variety (种类). For example, in China, there are more kinds of mushroom than in Australia. You can even eat black fungus (黑木耳), which is difficult to find in Western countries. The same goes for the different kinds of leafy, green vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage and pea shoots.

What’s more, in Chinese culture some vegetables have good meanings. Stepping inside a Chinese person’s home, you may find paintings and small sculptures of different vegetables. For example, because of its pronunciation, the Chinese cabbage is seen as standing for wealth. Or there is the gourd melon (葫芦). Because of its shape and pronunciation, it has many different cultural meanings, including happiness, having a large family and old age.

You could say that for Chinese people, vegetables stand for much more than just a healthy diet. They represent delicious food and a good and happy life.

Chinese people don’t just love cooking delicious vegetable dishes. They also love planting vegetables. Chinese people have grown vegetables in their backyards for centuries. Now, they have also grown them in the Antarctic (南极), and even in space!