A worker examines cloth at the Caoyuxing dyehouse in Erjia town, Nantong on May 22. [Photo/VCG]

Caoyuxing, a time-honored Nantong blue calico brand, has been operating in Erjia town, Tongzhou district, Nantong for more than 160 years.

The town is said to be one of the birthplaces of Nantong blue calico. As early as the reign of Emperor Daoguang (1821-50) during the Qing Dynasty, dyehouses were already common throughout the town, and Caoyuxing was among the largest ones.

Caoyuxing was acquired by a State-owned dye factory in the 1950s and resumed independent operations by the fourth generation of the Caos in the 1990s.

The dyehouse currently still practices traditional dyeing techniques, including the use of natural colors and fabrics.

However, to promote the innovative development of the ancient art form, practitioners have developed hundreds of new patterns. The fabrics for dyeing have also diversified from handmade cotton cloth to linen, cotton blends, and silk.

Caoyuxing's products have won a number of national and provincial-level awards and have proved popular in both domestic and overseas markets.