Embroidery, as a regional handicraft, has its own specialties and advantages after long-term accumulation and development. In addition to the four famous embroideries, there are famous local embroideries in China, such as Jing embroidery, Lu embroidery, Bian embroidery, Ou embroidery, Hang embroidery, Han embroidery and Min embroidery, while ethnic minorities in China, such as Uygur, Yi, Dai, Buyi, Kazak, Yao, Miao, Tujia, Jingpo, Dong, Bai, Zhuang, Mongolian and Tibetan, are also famous.
The names of the four famous embroideries were formed in the middle of19th century. Besides its own artistic characteristics, another important reason is the commercialization of embroidery. Due to the different market demand and embroidery origin, embroidery handicrafts, as a commodity, began to form their own local characteristics. Among them, embroidery products from Jiangsu, Sichuan, Guangdong and Hunan are widely sold and have great influence, so they are called "four famous embroideries".