The embroidery by women of the Yao ethnic minority group is among the best. Starting to learn cross stitches at six or seven years old, the Yao women become quite good at this category of needlework when they grow up. The Yao embroidery crafters have an extremely wide range of selections for patterns, including plants, flowers, birds, animals, ripples, clouds, geometric forms, Chinese characters, figures, etc. And they prefer fabrics in black, blue and white with clearly-arranged weft and warp as the foundation weave. The exquisite embroidered patterns on the Yao-style apparel are an epitome of the Yao ethnic culture.