[Video/ntfabu.com]

A tie-dyeing vocational skill competition took place in Hai'an, Nantong from Oct 12 to 13 with the aim of cultivating more talents to pass down the intangible cultural heritage and boost the application of the ancient technique in modern society.

Themed "tie-dyeing and modern life", the competition final featured 42 experts from 15 companies and 26 higher learning institutions around the country.

The participants tied sections of white T-shirts in a variety of ways and soaked the clothing in colorants to produce bright patterns.

Tie-dyeing is an old Chinese textile dyeing technique which comprises more than 100 distinctive skill combinations. The rich patterns cannot be produced by mechanical dyeing technology.

The tie-dyeing technique in Hai'an is a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage item in Jiangsu. The city has through the years been working to promote the protection, development and innovation of textile-related intangible cultural heritage.

As a textile hub, the city is currently home to more than 1,000 textile companies that produce 300 million meters of yarn-dyed fabric, 5,600 tons of raw silk, 30 million meters of woven silk fabric, and 300,000 tons of nylon annually. Its garment products are sold in more than 100 countries and regions.