Ni Shenjian is busy at work. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Ni Shenjian, an inheritor of the blue calico dyeing techniques in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, recently won national recognition for his efforts in promoting the craft at schools.

In recent years, Ni has opened optional courses about blue calico dyeing techniques at Nantong University and offered courses about the dyeing techniques at Tianjin University, Beijing Jingshan Primary School, as well as Nantong Chengzhong Primary School.

He also encouraged students to try making blue calico themselves and to find fun and meaning from the ancient techniques.

Ni Shenjian and his students show off their blue calico works. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

"I don't want to just teach them how to dye blue calico," said Ni. "I also want them to develop the pioneering and innovative spirit from the ancients by learning about the techniques' origins and development."

The craft of dyeing and treating calico originated during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It reached its heyday during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

In 2006, Nantong blue calico dyeing craft was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage item.

To give blue calico a more modern context, Ni and his family have been trying to innovate the craft. For example, old blue calico was entirely cotton, but they changed the material used to create silk, woolen and linen examples. Some young people thought the blue color was too dark, so they changed the proportion of dyestuff and developed gradient blue calico.