STORY: Italian expat discovers China's blue calico craft 
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Jan. 11, 2025
LENGTH: 00:04:37
LOCATION: NANJING, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Nantong City
2. various of blue calico craft
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WU LINGSHU, Curator, Nantong Blue Calico Museum
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
7. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): WU LINGSHU, Curator, Nantong Blue Calico Museum
8. SOUNDBITE 6 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
9. SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): WU LINGSHU, Curator, Nantong Blue Calico Museum and ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
10. SOUNDBITE 8 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
11. SOUNDBITE 9 (Chinese): WU LINGSHU, Curator, Nantong Blue Calico Museum and ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
12. SOUNDBITE 10 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat


STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
"The beautiful Nantong City in Jiangsu Province was once recorded in The Travels of Marco Polo.
It is renowned for its blue calico.
The blue and white patterns on fabric, with their serene charm nestled within the gentle ripples of the Jiangnan water towns, have been refined through over 800 years of history.
This traditional dyeing technique continues to shine with unique appeal in the modern era.
Right now I am here at Nantong Blue Calico Museum. Let's go inside and find out what's cool about it.
This is fish. Do you know that in Chinese culture, fish represents a good year of fortune and prosperity?
For a long time, blue calico has played an indispensable role in people's lives. As time goes by, it has gradually become an expression of cultural confidence for the Chinese nation, bearing witness to the craftsmen's perseverance and dedication.
Today, I have invited the sixth-generation inheritor of blue calico to share with us the stories behind this craft. But before meeting her, let me change my clothes!
Wow finally, I changed my clothes. How do I look? Good enough to meet our expert? Let's go and ask her."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
"I'm so happy to meet you. I've heard your intangible heritage skills are amazing."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WU LINGSHU, Curator, Nantong Blue Calico Museum
"Nice to meet you, Alex. Let me introduce to you the history of our blue calico. Blue calico is known as 'herb pattern cloth' in ancient times, which originated in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).
It has a history of over 800 years."

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
"Blue calico silently outlines the myriad forms of time. Through Master Wu's explanation, I gradually grasped the history, inheritance, and innovation of the blue calico dyeing techniques.
I think I understand why the blue calico - this Chinese cultural heritage has been inherited until now.
It is because it has to deal with our everyday life."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): WU LINGSHU, Curator, Nantong Blue Calico Museum
"Look at the patterns. We have added some new and innovative designs, such as these geometric shapes, which are young people's favorite."

SOUNDBITE 6 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
"Italian patterns are simple and straightforward, seeking freedom in bright lines.
Chinese patterns are delicate and profound, celebrating time with fluid strokes. I witnessed the beauty of patterns from both countries, radiating the brilliant splendor of 'harmony in diversity.'"

SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): WU LINGSHU, Curator, Nantong Blue Calico Museum and ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
"Later, you can choose a pattern yourself. Here are the twelve zodiac animals. Since I was born in the Year of the Rat, I choose the rat. Let's start carving then. OK."

SOUNDBITE 8 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
"Carving is an extremely complex task. Although it may look simple, each stroke requires precise control of force and angle when using tools like the carving knife and punch. Wow, I carved out the rat's ear! At first, I thought this was very complicated. But after learning with the teacher, I feel like this is pretty easy. The paste is a mixture of soybean flour, while the dye comes from indigo plants.
The blue calico embodies the craftsmen's wisdom in observation and creation in their daily lives."

SOUNDBITE 9 (Chinese): WU LINGSHU, Curator, Nantong Blue Calico Museum and ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
"By controlling the dyeing time, we can achieve different shades of color. I am looking forward to it!
Do you prefer dark blue or light blue? I like the effect of varying shades, from light to dark or dark to light. Just immerse it and soak it."

SOUNDBITE 10 (English): ALESSANDRO MARTINI, Italian expat
"Time drives craftsmen to innovate. Through precise control of dye concentration and soaking time,
Wu Lingshu has enabled blue calico to present various innovative blue shades such as light blue, medium blue, deep blue, and dark blue.
Okay guys, so we just finished this first part. As you can see this napkin already became blue. The birth of a piece of blue calico requires a series of complex processes including carving, scraping paste, dyeing, and paste removal. This reflects over 800 years of cultural inheritance and the wisdom of countless skilled craftsmen. Today at Nantong Blue Calico Museum, we have witnessed with our own eyes how the Chinese cultural heritage is getting closer to young people's lives. So I welcome you guys to come and see it by yourselves!"

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nanjing, China.
(XHTV)