The last champion of the Song brocade

What made her feat even more impressive was the fact that she did not have access to the original work, which is presently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing, or any documents detailing the weaving process. All she had were historical manuscripts.

In order to recreate the art work, Qian spent six years studying the piece, performing research and experimenting with techniques. Her achievement later earned her the nickname "Da Vinci of the East".

"The making of Song brocade is like building a house. First, you need an 'architect' to draw up a blueprint. Then, you need experienced workers who are capable of bringing the blueprint into life using thread," said Qian.

The only daughter of a widow, Qian enrolled in the Jiangsu Silk Industrial School - the first of its kind in China - in 1957, a time when the newly-founded People's Republic of China was eager to revive the flagging silk industry. To attract the best talent in the country, the government sponsored the accommodation and tuition fees of all the students in the school. Of the more than 400 people who registered their interest, only 37 made the cut.

For Qian, her decision to enroll was based out of pragmatism instead of interest.

"I chose silk simply because it provided my mother and I a livelihood," she said. "But I soon fell in love with silk as time went by."