The Chinese word "蓝图" (lán tú), meaning "blueprint" or "master plan," is a compound noun formed through semantic combination. The first character, "蓝" (lán), means "blue," and the second, "图" (tú), means "drawing," "diagram," or "plan." The term originated as a direct translation of the English word "blueprint," referring specifically to the cyanotype printing process used in the 19th and 20th centuries for reproducing technical and architectural drawings, which produced white lines on a blue background. Through metaphorical extension, its meaning broadened beyond the literal technical document to signify any detailed, strategic plan or visionary scheme for the future, thus combining a concrete color descriptor with an abstract concept of design to create a new, figurative meaning.