Artisan fuels revival of ancient ink craft in E China's Anhui

Zhou Jian, head of product development at the Ancient Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory in Shexian county, Huangshan city, east China's Anhui Province, is a municipal-level inheritor of the craft of making Huizhou Ink, which is listed as an intangible cultural heritage.

After graduating from university in 2007, Zhou returned to the factory, founded by Hu Kaiwen, one of the four great Huizhou Ink masters of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), determined to carry on the time-honored craft. He gradually honed his skills until he mastered the entire production process.

In 2014, Zhou rallied the factory's artisans to document more than 100 steps in the ink-making process, transforming the workshops into experience spaces open to visitors and allowing them to experience each stage of production.

This photo shows Hui ink sticks inspired by the Chinese zodiac Year of the Horse at an ink workshop in Shexian County, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 11, 2026. (Photo/Xinhua)

The factory now welcomes visitors every day and can receive more than 1,000 people at peak times, Zhou said.

Other local ink workshops soon followed suit, developing their own intangible cultural heritage experience zones. According to statistics, the county's ink workshops receive around 200,000 visits annually, generating over 40 million yuan ($5.86 million) in consumer spending.

In 2019, Zhou ventured into livestreaming, holding sessions directly on the workshop floor. "We make the ink and explain the process at the same time," he said. The approach paid off. "Last year, our sales reached 38 million yuan, of which 20 million came from online channels."

A crafter paints Hui ink sticks inspired by the Chinese zodiac Year of the Horse at an ink workshop in Shexian County, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 11, 2026. (Photo/Xinhua)

Online sales have accounted for more than half of the county's Huizhou Ink revenue in recent years, said Wang Xiaojuan, deputy director of Shexian's culture, tourism and sports bureau.

To better cater to younger consumers, Zhou has kept a close eye on product development. He has incorporated elements such as Chinese zodiac motifs, fish-lantern shapes and cartoon characters into Huizhou Ink designs, rolling out over 100 cultural and creative products to date.

His efforts have inspired a growing number of young people to return to Shexian and inject fresh energy into the ancient craft. The county's Huizhou Ink industry now employs more than 600 people, with those born in the 1980s and 1990s forming the backbone of the workforce.