Huzhou calligraphy brush a national treasure

Editor's note: "Hubi" stands for the Huzhou calligraphy brush, which has always been known as an important element of the "four treasures in the study" along with Anhui ink, the Duan ink stone and Xuan paper in Chinese culture. The Huzhou brush produced in Shanlian Town, Huzhou City of Zhejiang Province, is one of the most recognizable Chinese brushes used for calligraphy. Historians traced the development of the Huzhou brush back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). For more than 2,000 years, the Huzhou brushes have been favored by calligraphers throughout China for their excellence in workmanship and variety of styles. Moreover, they have been exported to numerous countries and regions in the world. With business becoming more transparent nowadays, tourists can have a closer observation and thus a better understanding of its production line.

The Huzhou calligraphy brush has always been known as an important element of the "four treasures in the study" along with Anhui ink, the Duan ink stone, and Xuan paper in Chinese culture. Produced in Shanlian Town, Huzhou City of Zhejiang Province, it is one of the most recognizable Chinese brushes used for calligraphy. [Photo by Wang Chuan/China.com.cn]