Ismet Yilmaz (2nd L), undersecretary of Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, and Gong Xiaosheng (1st L), Chinese ambassador to Turkey, visit an exhibition on China's Suzhou embroidery, in Ankara, capital of Turkey, March 18, 2010. Some 60 pieces of Suzhou embroidery works were on show during the exhibition. [Wang Xiuqiong/Xinhua]

"The glamor of art is not confined by national boundaries... China and Turkey used to be connected by the ancient Silk Road, today's embroidery show once again bring us together," said Gong.

Yilmaz told Xinhua Turkey also boasts its own traditional embroidery art, saying the two countries share a close cultural link.

He had a taste of the painstaking work demanded by Suzhou embroidery by sitting down at an unfinished piece of work at the exhibition hall and carefully making several stitches with the help of a Chinese artist.

"This needs tremendous patience," he said.

One of the four major embroidery styles in China, Suzhou embroidery was produced in a large scale during the Song Dynasty ( 960-1279) and became famous for its unique feature of being intricate, elegant and neat in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Some art pieces showed Thursday combine the elements of western arts with Chinese skills, creating a visual impression resembling oil paintings.

The works have been displayed in countries like Jordan, Tunisia, Syria and Saudi Arabia since 2007 and were scheduled to tour three Turkish cities including Samsun, Ankara and Istanbul between March and April, said Yu Jian, cultural counsellor of the Chinese embassy in Turkey.