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I’m Siyi Wu, a cultural project strategist and visual designer based in New York & Suzhou. I committed to using storytelling to activate heritage, education, and community engagement.

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Su Embroidery, Reimagined
a project to make a 2,000-year-old craft more accessible, engaging, and relevant in modern context.

Project Description
Su Embroidery, a 2,000-year-old intangible heritage, faces declining public awareness and generational loss.

This project repositions Su Embroidery as a living urban heritage by embedding it into interactive metro installations, social media storytelling, and everyday cultural spaces.
It invites the public to encounter tradition not as nostalgia, but as a shared, evolving experience that emotionally resonant, socially embedded, and meaningfully present in contemporary life.

By bridging past and present through participatory design and narrative engagement, the project explores how heritage can remain culturally alive, not only preserved, but continuously reimagined.


Read our full research paper on this project




Time Period
May. 2024 – Apr. 2025
Location
Suzhou / New YorkSDG Alignment
SDG 11 / SDG 17















01.                                                                                      context before the concept
     

    What is Su Embroidery

    • Originated from Suzhou, China
    • > 2,500 years
    • Precision - can split 1/128 of a silk thread
    • Double-Sided Embroidery
    Current Industry Situation

    • Artisan: Fewer than 5% are under the age of 30.
    • Public: 65% of young respondents reported being unfamiliar with Su Embroidery .
    Gap in Current Initiatives

    While current promotional formats have diversified from exhibitions to livestreams and brand collaborations, they still remain disconnected from everyday experience.    Opportunity Statement

    • Policy Alignment
      • Promotes heritage engagement in public space
    • Tourism in Suzhou
      • 200M tourists in 2024
    Strategic Vison

    • From passive preservation → active participation
    • From nostalgia → emotional relevance
    • From decorative motif → cultural narrative
    SDG Alignment

    • SDG 11.4: Protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage
    • SDG 17.H: Encourage effective partnerships


    Activation Site & Audience Profile
    # We Are On the Same Way




    02.Pilot Program
    Why Suzhou Metro
    • High-Traffic Mandatory Reach
    • Destination-Oriented Target Strategy
    • Sustainability Alignment
    Lindun Road Station
    • Geographically
      • Around cultural and tourism landmarks
    • Functionally
      • 522,000 passengers/month
    • Target Audience
      • Cultural tourists, Suzhou Residences
    A metro-based installation where Su Embroidery meets daily life.
    1. Place
      Visitors use life-sized magnetic pieces—adapted from Su Embroidery figures—to create shared scenes on a modern metro backdrop.
    2. Capture
      Each day’s co-created scene is photographed and archived, preserving moments of past–present interaction.
    3. Share & Receive
      Par      ticipants are encouraged to post their experience on social media and receive embroidered sticker as a reward.


    Social Media for Public Engagement
    Scalability & Sustainability
    Red Note
    • 500k users post heritage content
      • Visual-first, lifestyle storytelling, Gen Z appeal
    Weibo
    • 60% users explore new trends daily
      • Opinion shaping, public conversation
    Chinese TikTok
    • 19 Billion Review on Cultural Campaign 
      • High-impact interaction & hot challenges videos
      Rotating Artisan Spotlights
      • Monthly Featured Artisan
        • Example: Zou Yingzi (Buddhist motifs) ➔ Liang Xuefang (lotus themes)
      • Interactive Updates
        • Magnetic board refreshed with signature motifs.
      • QR Code Integration 
        • Direct access to bios, studios, and purchases.
      • Economic & Cultural Wins
        • Market exposure for artisans.
        • Preservation of stylistic diversity.
      • Live Events 
        • Monthly stitching demos/Q&A sessions.





















      03.Customer Experience roadmap