
Huzhou is located in north Zhejiang Province. It has a long history of manufacturing ink brushes, and it can be traced back to Qin Dynasty. Huzhou’s ink brush production and manufacture gained prominence in the Ming Dynasty. Now Huzhou is known as the “Hometown of Ink Brush”. The Huzhou ink brush is only made with first-class goat hair, through hundreds of complex procedures, including soaking, pulling and combing. It is characterized by its sharp, neat, round and strong features, and has been celebrated as the champion of the Chinese brush.

自從蒙恬發明毛筆后,湖州就成為中國書畫繞不開的去處。三國時,確定人物畫“曹衣出水”標桿的畫家曹不興是湖州人;南北朝時,活在“畫龍點睛”典故中的畫家張僧繇是湖州人;元代,發明“趙門書體”的趙孟頫也是湖州人;近代,創造“新吳門畫派”的清空是湖州人——中國書畫史上很多重要結點,都有湖州人的直接參與。“書圣”王羲之曾在湖州為官多年;“顏筋柳骨”之一的顏真卿更是湖州刺史——中國書畫史的另一些重要結點,沒有出現湖州人的爪痕,卻無法忽視湖州的輻射。

正因為湖州與中國書畫濃得化不開的關系,因而在中國書畫界有“一部書畫史,半部在湖州”之說。為何?只因為湖筆。
中國書畫,是一門在毛筆筆尖上流動的藝術。而湖州,自宋時湖筆取代宣筆成為中國毛筆的代表后,就一直與中國書畫同呼吸。

湖筆雖以湖州之名,但是真正產湖筆的地方其實是在湖州東南40公里的善璉古鎮。善璉古鎮廟橋弄6號,也就是現在的善璉湖筆廠,前身就是毛筆業始祖蒙恬祠。古時,筆工們對自己的授業始祖心中都懷有無比敬意,因而凡有筆工處就有蒙公祠。善璉的蒙公祠始建于元代,那正是湖筆取代宣筆、奪得中國毛筆帥印的年代。
每年農歷三月十六日蒙恬生日、農歷九月十六日筆祖娘娘生日時,筆工們就從各地趕來蒙公祠祭祀筆祖蒙恬。這個傳統隨著湖筆的興盛而慢慢融入了每個善璉人的血液,成為善璉鎮的民間習俗。祭祀蒙公的日子,也就成了古時制筆業的“年會”。……