The Huzhou writing brush has always been known as an important element of the “Four Ancient Treasures of Study” along with the Anhui ink stick, Duan ink stone, and Xuan paper. It is celebrated for its ability to create smooth and elegant strokes with the littlest ease and pressure. 

The Huzhou brush from Shanlian town in the prefecture level city of Huzhou is one of the most recognizable Chinese brushes used for calligraphy. Huzhou is situated in the Zhejiang province in the east of China. The origins of the writing brush are thought to be from the Neolithic Period (10000-2000 BC) as pottery uncovered displays patterns which could have only been created with a small brush. However, many historians trace back the development of the writing brush to General Meng Tian of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) who placed a tuft of rabbit-tail hair on the end of a bamboo stick and realized its potential for producing delicate and distinctive lines and patterns.

During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) Dynasties, Shanlian became the main centre of production for Chinese calligraphic brushes. Skillful brush makers could be found in most households in Shanlian as families passed down the techniques for brush making from generation to generation.

It is believed that during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796), a writing brush craftsman from Shanlian would prepare elegant and unique brushes for candidates sitting the imperial examinations each year. One year, one of the students using his writing brush became the number one scholar and honoured the brush as the finest in China. Since then, Hu brushes have been favoured by calligraphers throughout the world.

For many centuries, Hu brushes have been exported to numerous countries. A ship specializing in the  transportation of writing brushes would travel from Suzhou to Shanghai and then to many countries in Asia including Japan and Korea. The Hu brush is famous with calligraphers in many countries and is widely appreciated throughout the world.

There are three main categories of Hu brushes determined by the stiffness and flexibility of the hair. Goat hair and brownish rabbit hair are soft and flexible, stiff weasel hair is stiff and rigid and the combination of goat and weasel hair is a medium texture between soft and stiff. The different hairs produce different strengths and flexibility levels for the brush and affect the stroke pattern. The four requirements for a top quality Hu Brush are a sharp tip, neat hair arrangement, rounded shape and tough resilience. It is classed as good quality if the brush has a long and semi transparent tip when held towards the sun.

There are more than one hundred and twenty procedures involved in creating an authentic Hu brush which range from selecting the material to the finished product. The shaft is usually made from red sandlewood or bamboo although some can feature ivory or jade shafts.

The city of Huzhou has many projects and initiatives to promote and preserve the art of calligraphy within China. The “Huzhou Calligraphy Cup” is an annual event for foreigners that allow people to understand the traditions and beauty involved with calligraphy. The Museum of the Huzhou Writing Brush opened in 2001 and displays different brushes from past centuries and explains the history and culture of the calligraphic writing brush. Huzhou has also hosted the “International Huzhou Writing Brush Festival” four times with great success. 

The Huzhou brush continues to be a popular calligraphy tool among calligraphers within China and abroad. The writing brush industry provides many families in the town with a stable income. Therefore the preservation and promotion of Hu writing brushes is mandatory. The writing brush provides calligraphers with the freedom of movement and creates beautiful art works.