A cloth horse ornament made by Huayu Embroidery Intangible Cultural Heritage Cloth Store at the Dingshiqiao International Home Textile City in Haimen district. [Photo/Nantong Daily] 

As the Year of the Horse approaches, sales of horse-themed cultural and creative products at the Dingshiqiao International Home Textile City in Haimen district, Nantong, continue to soar. 

At the Huayu Embroidery Intangible Cultural Heritage Cloth Store, over a dozen horse-themed cultural and creative products, including pendants, cushions, and ornaments, are on display. The items range from palm-sized trinkets to life-sized displays, offering a wide variety. 

Among these, sales of a cloth horse hanging ornament have surpassed 1,000 units this year, while horse-themed zodiac cushions have exceeded 2,000 units. To keep up with demand, store staff have been putting in extra hours to restock. 

The "Mashang Laicai" cushions sold at Huayu Embroidery. [Photo/Nantong Daily] 

These cultural and creative products are rooted in intangible cultural heritage (ICH) textiles, reimagined through modern design. The "Mashang Laicai" (Fortune Coming Soon) cushion, for instance, incorporates embroidered auspicious elements into the fabric, while the horse ornament breaks the traditional pattern, using embroidery to convey Chinese wisdom. 

Zheng Wen, the manager of Huayu Embroidery, said consumers highly appreciate the combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern creativity. The simplicity of the ICH cloth adds profound cultural significance to the New Year blessings, and the cute designs make the techniques more accessible to daily life. 

A horse-themed ornament made by Huayu Embroidery. [Photo/Nantong Daily]