President Park Geun-hye (L) looks at “Mugunghwa Blossoms.” [Photo/Suzhou Daily]

An embroidered art piece from Suzhou – “Mugunghwa Blossoms” – was presented to the South Korean President, Park Geun-hye, at a luncheon on July 4 during President Xi Jinping’s first presidential visit to South Korea.

The artwork was created by a team of embroiderers led by Yao Jianping, a famous embroidery artist in Suzhou’s Zhenhu Town. “My team was asked to create the special gift two months ago,”he said.

The embroiderers spent 600 hours on the single piece. “We used 116 different colors in the work,” Yao Jianping said.

The embroidered piece was finally placed in a frame made of big leaf sandalwood. “The solid, smooth and elegant frame makes the entire piece look both antique and modern,” said Yao.

Mugunghwa, also known as hibiscus syriacus or Rose of Sharon, is South Korea’s national flower, and President Park’s name also bears this floral name. The flower’s symbolic significance 　stems from the Korean word mugung, meaning immortality. This word reflects the enduring nature of Korean culture, and the determination and perseverance of the Korean people.