Art of blue-printed cloth making flourishes in Shandong

Editor's Note:

The Yellow River runs through nine cities in East China's Shandong province and flows into the sea, bringing vitality and prosperity to the land. Along its banks, numerous intangible cultural heritage projects have been created and inherited, reflecting the colorful scenery, brilliant culture and rich diversity of Shandong. Shandong is a province with a long history and a splendid civilization. It boasts 186 national-level intangible cultural heritage projects, ranking it second in the country. Moreover, eight projects have been inscribed onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, according to the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. Join me on a journey in Meeting the Sea Along the Yellow River in Shandong, to discover the treasures of intangible cultural heritage there and appreciate the charms of this ancient and modern land.

Blue-printed cloth making – a folk art, dating back almost 200 years – is a traditional hand-dyeing technique in Dongming county in Heze city, located in East China's Shandong province.

It's well-known for its stunning blue and white hues and intricate patterns.

The current inheritor of the folk art in the county is Sun Chaobin. He started learning the complicated production process from his dad at a young age and has honed his craft over 60 years.

Every step of the way is performed by hand. Artisans carefully carve wooden printing blocks to create patterns and then reinforce them with tung oil for durability.

Then, a special lime and soybean flour paste is applied with a spatula onto the cloth before placing it in the dye pot. Once it's dry, the paste is gently removed, revealing the distinctive blue background and white-color patterns – exquisite in shape, rich in form, propitious in meaning and unique in style.

Shoppers examine Dongming blue-printed cloth at a market. [Photo by Yan Xianwu for chinadaily.com.cn]

Dongming blue-printed cloth often shows plant and animal motifs and simple geometric shapes. Patterns featuring phoenixes, peonies and unicorns are particular hits with Chinese buyers, because of their association with good fortune, luck and well-being. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)