Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute
Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
143 within 3 miles
Attractions
137 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
57 reviews
Excellent
34
Very good
14
Average
6
Poor
2
Terrible
1
chinamom
Florida7 contributions
My husband and I were there in February and bought a beautiful silk embroidery which we had shipped back home. Unfortunately, it arrived damaged- the glass in the frame had broken and ripped through the glass. The people at the Institute could not have been more wonderful. They replaced the embroidery ( each one is handmade and we had to wait for it to be completed- six months) and we now have it in our possession. This time we had it shipped without a frame or glass which is my suggestion to you. You will want to reframe it anyway using UV Plexi to protect the silk, so skip the frame. They even sent us a lovely embroidery as a gift to thank us for our patience. Expensive, but you won't find anything like it in the U.S.
Written August 10, 2005
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RockfordBP
Sydney, Australia173 contributions
Aug 2014 • Solo
Had a guide who took me through the place. Telling me the how, why and when of the art. How they use the threads thickness, direction etc to create different effects. The attention to detail and watching the master at work is a humbling experience, to spend a year creating some of the more intricate and larger pieces is a study in patience, skill and pride in workmanship. To have to shut the windows to stop gusts of wind breaking the finest threads gives you an understanding of what they are working with. You can ask the guide questions about the various techniques and levels of artists, and training and all is answered in well spoken English. Afterwards they take you through to the store but there is no hard sell. The only thing I could recommend for the double sided ones is a few more choices in mounting options, as they tended to be all the dark brown wood lacquered Chinese furniture style, which I just couldn’t see suiting anywhere at home (so opted for a single sided framed one).
Written September 13, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JBGourmet
Masai, Malaysia459 contributions
Had a lot of fun here, watching the different people with different levels of skills sewing pieces of art just by referring to a photograph. And they do not allow any artificial lighting to light the rooms, so must be hard on the eyes in dull gloomy days.
The pieces in the showroom were amazing, theres on piece of the Tiantan temple in Beijing where the staircase seems to follow you wherever you move from left to right.
The pieces in the showroom were amazing, theres on piece of the Tiantan temple in Beijing where the staircase seems to follow you wherever you move from left to right.
Written May 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dayahn
Honfleur, France32 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
We visited on a Saturday and no one was doing embroidery. The shop was open though but the selection of items was much less than we expected base upon the reviews we had read. We visit several shops in old Suzhou with a better selection.
Written October 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alan S
Spalding, UK488 contributions
Jul 2015
A talk on the art of silk embroidery then afterwards you could walk round there workshop and see ladies doing very intricate work on silks. There is a shop which does tempt you to buy as the work is so detailed and takes sometimes weeks to finish off, some are double sided which makes you wonder how they could be made.
Written August 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
N K
Rishon Lezion, Israel2,321 contributions
Oct 2014 • Solo
Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute is a place where you can both see and buy the very best of modern Chinese embroidery. It's quite different from what we used to think about embroidery and much more beautiful than I've ever imagined. Most of the masterpieces are similar to the best oil paintings with one exception: they are double sided, meaning you can see the same (or even different) pictures from both sides! It's a place of amazing beauty where you can also watch some of the masters at work.
Most of the masterpieces are obviously very expensive but you can still afford examples of this phenomenal art done by students of various levels of proficiency, depending on size and level of expertise. In my opinion, this is the best place to see in Suzhou even if you don't buy anything,
Most of the masterpieces are obviously very expensive but you can still afford examples of this phenomenal art done by students of various levels of proficiency, depending on size and level of expertise. In my opinion, this is the best place to see in Suzhou even if you don't buy anything,
Written November 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mrsyown
Cardiff, UK21 contributions
Oct 2014 • Couples
If you like embroidery, this is the place to see the very best. An excellent tour. We saw a lady, a master of 73 whose speciality was fish. She was splitting one thread of silk into 24! It was almost impossible to see the resulting threads. She was spending 2 years on one embroidery. There is so much to see and all of such high quality.
Written October 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joan B
Richmond, UK84 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
Stood in awe watching the master embroiderers, such amazing work. A real honour to talk about embroidery and see the most amazing pieces. Felt no obligation to buy in the adjoining shop just share the pleasure of the pieces. A fabulous visit and highly recommended
Written November 24, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tigermum48
Colchester, UK19 contributions
Feb 2012 • Couples
We were taken to this research institute as part of a day's excursion to Suzhou. It includes the ubiquitous shop which displays some exquisite work - from student to master embroiderer. We bought a double-sided piece which we managed to negotiate a hefty discount on(!). The piece was well packed and survived the journey home packed inside our suitcase. The mastery of the needlework has to be seen to be believed. It was not allowed to take photos in the institute - but there was not a postcard to be seen which demonstrated the work - surprising for the enterprising chinese! A visit not to be missed
Written March 15, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
beehive
Huntington Beach, CA14 contributions
Mar 2011
This venue was on our group tour. I bought a small framed embroidery of goldfish because I loved it even tho it was pricey. Later on I saw the same embroidery (unframed) in several shops in Suzhou at a fraction of the cost I had paid. Of course the Institute "guarantees" my piece was made by them. Our tour guide said the other pieces may or may not have been made by the same person. I had to remind myself that what I was buying was the China experience at that moment.. otherwise I would have beaten myself up at vastly overpaying!
Written April 10, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Does it have a tour program? or Can I just visit there and be able to look around the place?
Written August 4, 2018
Showing results 1-3 of 3
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingScroll back to Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute information