Students from the College of Fashion and Design at DHU don blue calico cloth dresses. [Photo/Donghua University]

An exhibition on Nantong blue calico cloth kicked off at the Shanghai Textile and Costume Museum of Donghua University in Shanghai on Dec 13.

The exhibition is divided into four sections: memory, craftsmanship, tradition, and innovation. It showcases over 100 pieces collected and designed by the Nantong Blue Calico Museum and its curator Wu Yuanxin. The exhibition will run until Jan 13, 2025, and is open to the public free of charge.

Blue calico-related exhibits are showcased at the Shanghai Textile and Costume Museum of DHU. [Photo/Donghua University]

During the event, students from the College of Fashion and Design at DHU presented blue calico cloth-made apparel and handicrafts, while the interactive area at the exhibition demonstrated processes such as block carving and dyeing.

"I hope to integrate the protection, collection, and revitalization of this intangible cultural heritage item into the campus of DHU, contributing to the protection and renewal of Chinese textile and costume culture," said Bian Xiangyang, chief curator and director of the Shanghai Textile and Costume Museum of DHU.

The traditional dyeing and printing techniques of blue calico cloth were included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists in 2006. In 2013, Nantong blue calico cloth was approved as a national geographical indication product.