学进去

Ink brushes, ink, paper and inkstones (砚台) are the “Four Treasures of Study” in China. They have been must-haves for fans of calligraphy (书法) and Chinese painting. Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone in Shanxi province is one of China’s most famous’ inkstones. It is known for its fine texture (质地). It feels like “a baby’s skin” and can do less harm to the brush. Unlike other inkstones made from natural stone, it is made with mud from the Fenhe River. In 2008, the craft of making Jiangzhou Chengni inkstones was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage (国家非物质文化遗产).

The skill for making Jiangzhou Chengni inkstones can be dated back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC—AD 220). However, it was lost at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368—1644).

In 1986, Lin Yongmao, a craftsman from Xinjiang county, Shanxi, and his son Lin Tao decided to revive(恢复) this ancient skill. To find clues (线索), they visited libraries to read historical papers about the inkstone. Although they learned the basics, bringing it back to life was not an easy task. They walked over the Fenhe riverbed (河床) and collected all kinds of mud to find the best one. To know the best temperature of firing clay, they spent sleepless nights keeping a close watch on the kiln (窑) in smoke.

After many failures, they succeeded in making three Chengni inkstones in 1991. In 1994, their inkstones won a gold prize at the China Expo of Famous Inkstones.

According to them, it takes over a year and more than 10 steps to make a Chengni inkstone. One of the key steps is mud filtering(过滤). “The mud needs to be filtered over and over again till it feels like flour (面粉). This is to make sure the texture of clay is right,” he said.

Lin Xiaolin, Lin Tao’s son, is a third-generation inheritor of the Chengni inkstone craftsmanship. In 2019, after returning from his studies abroad, the 33-year-old man created new ways to make the Chengni inkstone. By controlling the temperature of the kiln, he increased the colors of the Chengni inkstone from three to eight. The young inheritor has also stepped into the online market through e-commerce and livestreaming.

In 2013, Lin Tao built the China Jiangzhou Chengni Inkstone Cultural Park. More than 10,000 people have visited the park to learn the old skill. “Passing on the skill holds the key to keeping it alive,” he said.