The handmade printing and dyeing process known as "Nantong Blue Calico Art" is proudly on display in Beijing. The most typical design is white flowers on a blue background or vice versa, but mythical creatures are also depicted here.

The handmade printing and dyeing process known as "Nantong Blue Calico Art" is proudly on display in Beijing. The most typical design is white flowers on a blue background or vice versa, but mythical creatures are also depicted here.

850 examples of the calico are on display, including 300 antique exhibits from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Most are making their first appearance here.

"Take this one for example, it's from the early Qing Dynasty. The main patterns are dragons, phoenix, fish and peony flowers, all representing good wishes," said Wu Yuanxin, intangible cultural heritage inheritor.

Staged at the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture, 'Nantong Blue Calico Art' unveils the processes of printing and dyeing, not just the results, and explains the origins and development of the artform. The exhibition runs through June the 18th.

The handmade printing and dyeing process known as "Nantong Blue Calico Art" is proudly on display in Beijing. The most typical design is white flowers on a blue background or vice versa, but mythical creatures are also depicted here.