Most silk embroidery pieces are decorated with designs of propitious animals and birds or landscapes, sometimes embellished with good luck slogans such as "long life" and "eternal happiness." When Buddhist influences became strong in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) religious sayings and images also appeared.
後來刺繡漸及宗教，用作佛像、經典、供器的裝飾。到了宋代，絲繡除上述實用目的外，更以書畫的形式出現，成為純粹的藝術品。