Xuancheng and Huzhou sustain trade in calligraphy brushes

HEFEI - Sifting through bags of goat hair to select quality ones for the production of Chinese ink brushes can be tough and boring, but this is routine work for Zhang Wennian, 50, who is an inheritor of the traditional handicraft.

He said this is the first, the toughest and the most valuable part of the Chinese ink brush making process.

"The wool must be from the neck and underarms of white goats weighing under 25 kg. Only a small amount of goat hair is eligible enough for ink brushes - not too thick, not too soft," said Zhang, who inherited his family's ink brush making business from his father in 2009.