In 1920, Wang Youchen came to Beijing from his hometown Nancun Village in Yangquan of Shanxi Province. He worked as an apprentice successively in Youyi Gu Embroidery Shop and Hongxingde Gu Embroidery Shop which located in Xiuhua Street, Xihuying, Qianmenwai. Ten years later, Wang Youchen left Hongxingde and run a shop with his brother Wang Ziheng. In 1936 they named the shop Gold Star, which was the predecessor of Yuanlong Gu Embroidery Shop. His brothers, Wang Laixiang and Wang Laiqi joined in later. In 1939, the shop was officially named Yuanlong Gu Embroidery Silk Shop. Yuanlong means auspicious, thriving and upgrowthing. The Wang brothers dedicatedly developed their business and extended this shop to more than 60 square meters in commercial space till the liberation of Beijing.

After the founding of PRC, encouraged and supported by the People’s Government, the shop is getting more thriving. In 1956, it incorporated Tianli Gu Embroidery Shop which was in leather goods business, and moved to Zhushikou East Street, but the brand Yuanlong Gu Embroidery Silk Shop retained. During the three-year distress, the shop experienced depression with its target clients transferred to domestic guests, and mainly dealt with daily commodities, cotton, and few silk. In 1964, the shop stopped its business in Gu Embroidery and the name was changed to Yuanlong Sewing Machine Shop.

When Yuanlong Gu Embroidery Shop resumed its business on July 16, 1981, foreign guests came in an endless stream, bringing big profit. In April 1984, when the former Hongqiao Department Shop moved out, the whole building was left to Yuanlong. Yuanlong also had the shelves renewed and the shop front redecorated. Nowadays, Yuanlong mainly has its business in embroidery and silk goods, including ornamental embroideries and various embroidered garments which are popular both at home and abroad. After its resumption, the shop implements “individualized service, multi-functional service, flexible service and chartered service” in a Yuanlong’s Way which leads to an international reputation. A newspaper of Sweden made the following comments which are popular both at home and abroad: “it is enjoyable to shop in Yuanlong, where there are good people, good things, and good service” and “go to Yuanlong for silk. One is not a hero without climbing the Great Wall, while it is really a pity without shopping in Yuanlong”. Lots of internationally distinguished persons, such as Nancy Regan–wife of former US president, sister of Queen Elizabeth, wife of Egyptian president Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, Pavarotti, Pierre Cardin have been here.

Yuanlong now is located in Yuanlong Plaza which covers an area of over 5,000 square meters in the northeast of Temple of Heaven. With silk materials and silk products from all over the country, it is the largest modernized silk shop with most complete variety in Asia. The plaza has roomy and peaceful shopping space with drawnwork and embroidery on the first floor, carpet and cashmere on the second, silk, linen and cotton materials on the third, and silk, linen and cotton garments on the fourth floor. There is a Silk Museum in the building which introduces in detail the process of making silk from silkworm breeding to weaving. Visitors may also enjoy the performances of making traditional handiwork silk carpet, double-face embroidery and other folk artworks from all over China.