Origin of Duan Inkstone

In the early Tang Dynasty, Guangdong Zhaoqing (ancient name of Duanzhou) in the eastern suburbs of the Antelope Gorge Lianke Mountain Duanxi area, appeared to rely on the quarrying of inkstone, the production of Duan inkstone laborers make a living. Here, the Xijiang River, which flows eastward, passes through the gorge and goes straight to the South China Sea. The mountains and ridges along the banks are magnificent and rocky. DuanYan famous pits in the water rock (old pits), kengzai rock, mazi pit, Chaotian rock, Guta rock, XuanDe rock ...... are staggered in this picturesque environment. The production of Duan Yan slowly became a unique craft and artwork of Zhaoqing; it was loved by literati and artists, and appreciated by dignitaries and emperors and generals. In the Song Dynasty, DuanYan was listed as "tribute" and became famous both at home and abroad.

The reason why the inkstone is valuable, in addition to the stone quality is particularly tender, pure, delicate, moist, solid, dense, made of inkstone has a gas can be research ink, ink does not damage the millimeter, the winter does not freeze the characteristics of the outside. Also with its mining, production of hard related. A side of the ink stone of the world, to go through from the detection, chiseling, transportation, selection, the whole Pu, design, carving, polishing, washing, fitting and so on more than ten kinds of arduous and fine process. The quarrying of inkstone cannot be mechanized, and can only be done by hand. Successive generations of quarrying workers are according to the direction of the stone vein, follow the nature to the deep excavation, from the joints under the chisel. Quarrying out of the ink stone such as can have 30, 40% available, has been rare. Pit downward sloping, winding, workers in and out to crouch and bend over, some sections can only accommodate one person naked crawling. Ancient saying: "the old pit creeping child pit slanting, quarrying people with the credit of the next world. Mowed purple clouds annoying cut, a thousand gold a cut is not extravagant."

Added to the carving of the ink stone makers through the ages, so that its modeling style colorful, by the early Tang practical gradually increased to the Ming and Qing periods of practicality and appreciation of the height of the combination of the national arts and crafts into the ranks of the ranks. Now it has become one of the wonders in the garden of Chinese arts and crafts, and is famous all over the world. So that come to Zhaoqing sightseeing tourists from China and abroad are proud to have a party of exquisite craftsmanship, colorful inkstone.