Blue calico works are on display at the Qidong Blue Calico Art Museum in Qidong, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513] 

The Qidong Blue Calico Art Museum officially opened in Qidong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, on July 16.

The museum, located at the intersection of South Huangpujiang Road and South Minsheng Road, showcases the history and traditional techniques of blue calico by displaying more than 300 artworks and tools over its 1,600-square-meter area.

The exhibits were all donated by Wu Yuanxin, a local blue calico artist who has been devoted to preserving and developing the ancient technique for decades.

Blue calico, as a traditional handicraft, was widely consumed in the 1950s and 1960s. It was used to make hats, clothing, bags, and quilt covers. Typical patterns include peonies, magpies, and carps, all of which represented people's desire for a better life.

Nantong is known as the "home of China's blue calico" and the technique boasts a history of more than 1,000 years. Nantong Blue Calico was included in the first list of national intangible cultural heritage items in 2006.

Qidong has been China's cotton textile production center since the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, and its blue calico products have been sold across the country.

Models of tools used to produce blue calico in ancient times are on display at the Qidong Blue Calico Art Museum in Qidong, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513] 

A painting of people producing blue calico in ancient times is reproduced in the courtyard of the Qidong Blue Calico Art Museum in Qidong, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]