Travel headline:

Throughout Chinese history, fans have been used to cool emperors in the imperial palace and to express love or friendship among the common folk. Fans have also been immortalized in China's paintings and poetry, and in the West, images of fans have evoked China, from the misty peaks of Yellow Mountain to the imposing grandeur of the Great Wall.
Traditionally there are several major varieties of fans. One is folding fans that are comprised of many thin slats of wood held together with thread or wire. Another is folding fans made of paper that is glued to wood, which fold together neatly and are often decorated with painting or calligraphy. In ancient China friends would often write messages on fans and give them as going away presents, and fans painted by famous artists often became valuable art objects. The last main variety is known as palace fans. These fans do not fold up but have long handles, which originated from the type of fans that servants used to fan the emperor.

In recent years, Nantong blue calico has enjoyed a revival in interest among both the Chinese and the international community. Since the 14th century it has been one of China's most popular and enduring styles, originating from the towns of the lower Yangtze River. It was first worn by the local farmers and fishermen who favored it for its deep indigo color, comfortable and natural feel, and charming traditional patterns, which have kept it popular today even among the urban sophisticates of modern China. Much of it is produced in the city of Nantong near the mouth of the Yangtze River, but it is sold and worn all over the country.
This art form has a very classical Chinese and traditional folk look, yet it adds a level of elegance to contemporary clothing styles in a way that many other folk fabrics do not. Nantong calico comes in a range of different patterns, the most popular consisting of plants and animals. Simple patterns make interesting yet elegant clothing like skirts or light jackets. Blue calico also makes charming purses, handbags, cell phone holders, and wallets. The larger and more complicated patterns integrate pictures and large designs which are commonly used to make beautiful and distinctive wall hangings. These larger designs often use traditional folk motifs meant to express wishes for health and happiness.

Kite-flying is one of the great Chinese hobbies that still is going strong today. For two thousand years, a strong fall or spring wind has brought people of all ages out into parks and public squares to let their kites soar in the breeze. Chinese kites are works of art in and of themselves and are divided into six major genres, with Nantong kites constituting one. Nantong was actually one of the four birthplaces of kite flying in China.
Much of the charm of Nantong kites comes from their stylized shapes and traditional decoration. Originally, kites were modeled on various animals that are known for their graceful flight, making hawks, sparrows, butterflies, and dragonflies some of the most popular designs. Other patterns reflect traditional folk culture - decorations of peaches or bats evoked wishes for good health and fortune, while others, like fat babies and goldfish, found their way onto kites because of their auspicious connotations.

Jiangsu Province has been producing tea since the Tang Dynasty (around the 5th century) and even though Jiangsu makes up only 1.8% of the total tea production in China, the province has many renowned teas and is best known for its naturally fragrant green teas. Jasmine teas and black teas are also grown there as well. The cities of Suzhou, Yixing, and Nanjing and particularly favored for their rich, flavorful tea.
Suzhou's Bi Luo Chun tea has long been one of China's best loved green teas, known for its buttery flavor and curled leaves. For over a thousand years both literati and common folk have consistently ranked this green tea among China's finest, and many travelers to Suzhou leave some space in their luggage to take some home. It has a rich but mild flavor, even slightly sweet, and does not leave a harsh or bitter aftertaste. Peach, apricot, and plum trees are often planted among the tea bushes, and the fruit trees are in full bloom just as the unfolding tea leaves are at their most tender and receptive to absorbing the sweet scent of the trees. It also has a distinctive shape, as the small leaves are tightly curled up. This odd shape gave the tea its name. It was originally a wild tea, and the peasants who picked it named it Buddha Moves the Heart in admiration of its delicious taste. When the great Emperor Kangxi was inspecting Jiangsu, he tried the tea and thought the name rather tacky and not worthy of such a fine tea. He renamed it Bi Luo Chun. Bi is a type of green jade, used to reflect the tea's verdant color; Luo means snail, because the shape of the curled leaves is reminiscent of a snail, and Chun means spring, which is the season the leaves are harvested.

Clay teapots from the town in Yixing are an indispensable accessory for China's tea aficionados. It was in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) that these teapots were first made, and it was in the 17th century that they began to be exported to Europe, thus providing the model for the first English, Dutch, and German teapots. Traditionally, Yixing teapots were so small that they were only used for individual servings, and the Chinese would carry one around with them, drinking out of the teapot's spout. The teapots are usually small, squat and brown, and fine craftsmanship and special clay make them a superior vessel for brewing tea. Since the clay is porous, and unlike porcelain or metal, some of the tea's flavor is absorbed into the pot during each brewing, improving the aroma, flavor, and color, and making tea brewed from a seasoned pot a real treat. These teapots are never washed with soap, just rinsed with cold water. Many tea drinkers designate one Yixing teapot for one kind of tea so as to not disrupt the seasoning process with cross-brewing. It is said that after using a pot for several years, you can brew tea just by adding boiling water to the teapot!

The first silk painting was done around 2,300 years ago on a piece of white silk that was used in traditional funerals. Even though time has faded the color, the edges of the image are still visible. It is the profile of a woman dressed in a dress with full sleeves and a long skirt. She has her palms together, as if in the act of praying. On top of her head is a flying phoenix with its tail curving upward， and on her right side is a twisting dragon rising to the sky.

Suzhou silk embroidery is famous both at home and abroad and is one of the city's most traditional crafts. Long a center of silk production, Suzhou style embroidery uses the finest quality local silk to create beautiful works of art and decoration.
In ancient times, the art of embroidery developed from the efforts of the women of Jiangsu Province, especially unmarried girls. Since they did not need to work, they spent their time embroidering the items they would need for their bridal trousseau. The art spread, giving rise to highly trained craftswomen who could make amazingly beautiful and intricate designs with their needles and fine silk thread.

Lacquer is similar to a varnish or paint, as it is applied in a similar way. The process of making lacquer ware is complex and involves many steps, all requiring a high level of craftsmanship and skill. First comes the base structure, which determines the shape of the object - such as a bowl, panel, or box. The frame is then made smooth, without cracks or flaws. The lacquer itself is made from the milky sap of several types of small trees, collected similar to rubber or maple syrup. The raw sap is then heated and purified, which can then be painted onto the base in thin layers. The layers are not thick, so many layers must be applied to create a rich appearance, and in between coats each layer must be left to dry. The number of layers vary greatly, with simpler items having less coats and more ostentatious items having as many as 100! All lacquer items share several features and are made by a similar process.