#Marco Polo #Chinese Crafts #Alessandro Martini

Modern Marco Polo: A Journey into Traditional Chinese Craftsmanship

In 2024, the world celebrates the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's passing. To honor this significant milestone, Alessandro Martini, a young man from Milan, takes center stage in the dance-theater production "Invisible Cities," portraying his idol, Marco Polo. Alessandro's dream of visiting China originated in primary school after learning about Polo's adventures. After years of anticipation, he finally arrived in China, which has profoundly influenced his artistic expression.

Over the past eight years, Alessandro has traveled extensively throughout various regions of China. Each visit has revealed to him that the nation's intangible cultural heritage encompasses not only wisdom and techniques but also tactile experiences waiting to be discovered and learned. In this modern retelling of Polo’s journey, he often finds himself in cities rich with unique charms, committing to the exploration of traditional Chinese crafts while immersing himself in local shops and museums run by young entrepreneurs.

In his explorations, Alessandro's recent trip to Nantong in Jiangsu province aimed to master the renowned Blue Calico dyeing technique. This picturesque city, famed in "The Travels of Marco Polo," is steeped in rich cultural history. In Nantong, he learned that all raw materials used in producing Blue Calico—like cotton and the