The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has released the list of the 100 national-level Master Rural Artisans training candidates in 2025. Among them is Qiu Qunzhu, an artisan engaged in embroidery and textile dyeing in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.

The selection of national training candidates for Master Rural Artisans is aimed at inheriting, protecting and innovatively transforming traditional rural crafts, developing rural industries with unique local features and boosting farmers' income through skills development. The candidates are required to have at least 10 years of professional experience in their crafts, a deep grounding in traditional culture, and exceptional skills with a commitment to craftsmanship. They should also have extensive teaching experience, enjoy high recognition and influence in their fields, and have a proven track record in spearheading rural industries with local characteristics or helping farmers increase income through skills.

In Ningbo's millennia-old tapestry, Gold and Silver Color Embroidery— a national intangible cultural heritage— shines brightly for its unique craft of interweaving golden and silver threads with colored silk. It is Qiu Qunzhu, the newly selected National Master Rural Artisan, who has brought this splendor from history to the present. With more than 30 years of dedication, she has embroidered her own golden years on pieces of silk.

Qiu s initial exposure to embroidery art came from the teaching and inspiration of her elder family members. In her childhood, she watched golden and silver threads turn into flowers, birds and auspicious motifs at their fingertips, and the seed of art took deep root in her heart. In 2003, she apprenticed under Shi Cuizhen, an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage Gold and Silver Color Embroidery. Under the guidance of her mentor, she laid a solid foundation and grasped the essence of the craft, making the crucial leap from  craftsmanship to art.

Qiu has never stopped honing her craft. In 2008, she founded Ningbo Gold and Silver Thread Embroidery Co., Ltd. Adhering to the philosophy of "bringing intangible cultural heritage into the present", she led her team in research and design, integrating traditional motifs with modern aesthetics. She transformed gold and silver thread embroidery from an ornamental artwork into cultural products with both practical and collectible value, blazing a sustainable development path for this time-honored craft.

In 2013, Qiu established the Ningbo Gold and Silver Thread Embroidery Art Museum. This private museum, with free admission, has become an important platform for showcasing the craft—not only allowing visitors to appreciate exquisite works from past dynasties, but also providing a space for young people to learn and connect.

In addition, through community classes, campus programs and other initiatives, Qiu has taken on the responsibility of cultural dissemination, completing her transformation from an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage to a cultural cultivator. The delicacy of her fingertips brings the embroidery patterns to life;the perseverance in her heart fuels her entrepreneurial journey; and her selfless generosity promotes the sharing of this precious craft.

Qiu's story proves that artisans deeply rooted in their hometowns can also embrace a broad vision and an innovative mindset. Committed to carrying forward her craft with dedication, this female artisan is leading gold and silver thread embroidery toward a more brilliant future.