Lu Embroidery

Lu Embroidery

　　Lu Embroidery

　　Changzhi in Shanxi Province, historically known as Luzhou, produced embroidery that came to be generally called Lu Embroidery. Traditionally, it was made by individual artisans manually, and never developed into a large-scale industry. In the 20th century, the city of Changzhi set up an embroidery factory that mainly produced embroidered items such as quilt covers, pillowcases, and door curtains. Since its founding in 1980, the company experienced a period of success. However, starting in 1986, the market changed dramatically. Facing competition from similar products in coastal cities—characterized by low cost, short production cycles, a wide variety of designs, and cheap prices—the company was at a loss and suffered losses before eventually halting production. In 1992, the Party Committee of the Municipal Second Light Industry Bureau transferred Chen Aihong, then director of the Municipal Cultural Supplies Repair Factory, to take over as the factory director. After taking office, she used her own funds to produce products such as quilt covers and children’s clothing. But the good times didn’t last. Months of hard work resulted only in inventory piling up in warehouses. The unforgiving market sent the enterprise a clear message: for an embroidery business to survive, it must look beyond domestic markets.

　　In 1992, a chance opportunity brought a turning point and hope to the enterprise. In September of that year, a leading municipal government official was preparing to visit the United States and asked the embroidery factory to make a ceremonial banner before departure. The factory leadership keenly recognized the vast business potential behind this small banner. Those involved in its production—including factory leaders and technical workers—pledged, “We must make this internationally significant banner well.” After more than half a month of meticulous craftsmanship, this banner, which combined friendship, wisdom, art, and ethnic culture, was presented as a government gift to the United States. Its exquisite patterns, natural color schemes, and delicate stitching earned praise from American merchants. Through the introduction of the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, the factory undertook its first international processing order: 500 embroidered pieces for the U.S.-based Dimenson Company. Hard work paid off. After over a month of effort, the company took its first step into the international market. The initial batch of embroidered products satisfied the American client in terms of design, patterns, stitching techniques, and delivery schedules. In March 1993, a Sino-American joint venture—Shanxi Changlei Arts & Crafts Embroidery Co., Ltd.—was officially established. With approval from higher authorities, Chen Aihong was appointed as Chairman & General Manager as well as Party Branch Secretary.

　　The handicraft embroidery products processed by Changlei mainly include hand-embroidered crafts, handcrafted tablecloths, drawn-thread embroidery, hand-knitted items, machine-embroidered goods, pile embroidery, pile satin, appliqué embroidery, and more. These products blend the techniques of Hunan embroidery, Suzhou embroidery, and Lu embroidery. Their unique designs, exquisite patterns, and masterful stitching have won the favor of foreign buyers. These traditional crafts hold strong appeal in the global market alongside modern high-tech products. Abroad, they serve as leisure items—especially for women—and as artistic home decorations, offering promising sales prospects. The main markets are the United States and Germany. Since 1985, the international market demand has shown a gradual upward trend. With the further opening-up of our province and the growing reputation of Changlei, foreign orders have continued to increase. From 1996 to 1999, the order volumes were 15,000, 24,000, 40,000, and 240,000 pieces respectively. German clients who had previously commissioned embroidery processing in coastal areas such as Shandong also came to visit after hearing of Changlei’s reputation. After conducting on-site inspections, they awarded their machine embroidery orders to Changlei. Some companies from the UK, Canada, and other countries also expressed interest in establishing long-term cooperative relationships with Changlei.

　　With increasing orders and expanding international markets, the company’s production capacity could no longer meet actual demand even when all employees were working at full capacity. To address this issue, in 1995, while recruiting young rural women to join the company, the company also adopted a strategy of organizing production hubs and decentralizing manufacturing. They set up six processing sites in rural areas across counties such as Qinshui, Huguan, and Tunliu. Initially, the results were positive. However, the limited number of sites and the long distances created many operational difficulties. Faced with this situation, the company’s leadership came up with a bold plan: to hire laid-off female workers. This approach would not only contribute to the “re-employment project,” meet the company’s growth needs, but also help many unemployed women. Starting in 1997, Changlei implemented three major shifts: from rural to urban recruitment, from hiring rural young women to recruiting laid-off female workers, and from single processing sites to a variety of flexible models including home-based, enterprise-based, community-based, and part-time work. These diverse forms of processing adapted well to the needs of women. To ensure the success of the re-employment initiative, Changlei provided free technical training for laid-off workers; offered discounted rates and free management and technical services to newly established processing sites; ensured that laid-off female workers who chose to stay with the company received the same benefits as regular employees; and charged only 2.2 yuan per person per day for three meals for those dining at the company. These preferential policies and tangible actions attracted a large number of laid-off female workers. By the end of 1998, Changlei had established 29 relatively stable processing sites, distributed across six counties (districts)—Pingshun, Zhangzi, Tunliu, Changzhi, Lucheng, and Xiangyuan—as well as 13 municipal enterprises. Among them, the processing sites at companies such as Changfeng, the Forging Plant, the Taihang Saw Blade Plant, the Provincial Construction Third Company, and the Tsinghua Factory became key pillars for Changlei. Over the years, Changlei has employed 2,500 laid-off female workers and paid out over 10 million yuan in processing fees. The development of Changlei has been supported by the municipal government and coordinated through various sectors of society. In April 1997, in response to Changlei’s lack of space for re-employment technical training, the municipal finance department allocated 1.3 million yuan, and the company raised another 300,000 yuan through various means. Together, they built the city’s first “Re-employment Training Base”—a 1,500-square-meter facility that can accommodate over 2,000 laid-off female workers for training simultaneously. The project was approved, funded, constructed, and put into use within the same year, yielding excellent social benefits. Multiple media outlets, including China Central Television and Shanxi Daily, highlighted Changlei’s experience and the exemplary achievements of Chen Aihong. Leaders at the provincial and municipal levels commended Changlei’s proactive efforts in alleviating social challenges through its re-employment initiatives.

　　Relying on its honest and reliable reputation as well as top-tier quality standards, Shanxi Changlei Arts & Crafts Embroidery Co., Ltd. has firmly established itself in the international market. The company has successively entered 12 international markets including Germany, the UK, France, Australia, Russia, Hong Kong, and the Middle East. Its product range expanded from one type of handmade embroidery to 16 categories and tens of thousands of varieties, including fleece, silk flowers, painting, and carving. Meanwhile, the company added six computers, established two international communication lines, and purchased...

　　182 universal embroidery machines, 10 computerized embroidery machines, a wood frame decoration assembly line, and launched two new production lines for machine embroidery and photo frames. In total, 220,000 pieces of Lu Embroidery crafts were produced, with cumulative exports of 1.65 million embroidered items over eight years.

　　All exported products were shipped to Western countries such as the United States, Germany, and the UK, accounting for over 95% of total production. Export earnings exceeded 9 million USD, making Changlei one of the largest embroidery export enterprises in Shanxi. The products of Changlei have finally crossed the seas and secured a place in the international market.