Hu Kaiwen Memorial Hall

　　Hu Kaiwen, styled Zhuchen and also known as Zaifeng, was a renowned Huizhou merchant, an expert in Hui ink production, and the founder of the “Hu Kaiwen” ink business. He was a master ink craftsman during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, hailing from Jixi County, Huizhou. Having studied under Wang Qimao of Xiuning, Huizhou, he became a rising talent among the Xiuning school of ink craftsmen. He first opened “Hu Kaiwen Ink Shops” in Xiuning and Tunxi. By the 1930s, the Hu Kaiwen brand had flourished dramatically. In addition to the Hu Kaiwen Ink Shop in Xiuning and the original Hu Kaiwen store in Tunxi, branches or new stores were successively established in She County, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Hankou, Changsha, Jiujiang, Anqing, Nanjing, and other locations—either as branches or new outlets—its business scope covering nearly all regions across China. By then, the Huizhou ink industry had come to be dominated by the Hu Kaiwen brand alone. Later generations continued to use this long-established brand name.

　　The Hu Kaiwen Memorial Hall is located by the Shuitian Canal at the entrance of Shangzhuang Village. Covering an area of over 400 square meters, it was originally the ancestral home of Hu Hengde, the eldest descendant of Hu Kaiwen, and is a well-preserved example of traditional “tongzhuanlou” (pervasive corridor-style) ancient architecture. The museum houses an extremely rich collection. The exhibition hall features six large glass display cabinets along the walls and a large glass table in the center. On display are replicas of various famous inks originally created by the Hu Kaiwen family, such as the Li Longzhu (Pearl of the Black Dragon), Gu Yumei (Ancient Jade Crush), Qianqiu Guang (Thousand-Year Radiance), Babao Yaomo (Eight-Treasure Medicinal Ink), Longxiang Fengwu (Dragon Soaring and Phoenix Dancing), Kongsheng Xiang (Portrait of Confucius), Miluo Xiang (Portrait of Maitreya), Tiannu Sasua (Fairy Scattering Flowers), Maguangniangniang (Goddess Maguan), Ten Great Immortals, Large and Small Golden Turtles, Golden Cicada, Mobao Hu (Ink Treasure Pot), the “Sixty-Four Scenes of the Imperial Garden” painting, the “Thirty-Six Peaks of Huangshan” painting, the “West Lake Scenic Poetic Painting,” the “Cotton Painting,” the “Twelve Zodiac Poetic Paintings,” and the “Earth Ink” that won the gold medal at the Panama International Exposition, along with copies of its award certificate, medals, and photographs. In addition, a rare and unique complete set of the Mo Sou (Ink Compendium)—the only existing copy in Anhui Province—which is the imperial ink recipe collection of the Four Great Masters of Ink Making from the Qing Dynasty, has been bound in thread-bound format and preserved in the hall. Hu Kaiwen’s former residence is situated along the eastern edge of Shangzhuang Village. It is the first residence in Jixi built using reinforced concrete materials, combining both Chinese and Western architectural styles. Its structure and decoration are exceptionally harmonious—a remarkable feat at the time, considering that the roads were not yet developed and the materials had to be transported manually or by animal power from Shanghai into the deep mountainous region. The residence consists of three bays, with the main gate facing east, adorned with brick carvings above the lintel and a plaque mounted above. The top of the plaque is pointed, while the lower part is a hollow circle, symbolizing “zero’s breakthrough”—piercing through the sky. Though the square-shaped house is now somewhat dilapidated, traces of its former prosperity remain visible.

　　The Hu Kaiwen Memorial Hall was established by Hu Engao, the seventh-generation descendant of Hu Kaiwen’s eldest branch and an 82-year-old elder. The six large running-cursive characters reading “Hu Kaiwen Memorial Hall” were inscribed personally by Shen Peng, Chairman of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, and delivered via intermediary by [a comrade]. The museum houses an extremely rich collection, including famous inks originally created by Hu Kaiwen, such as Li Longzhu, Gu Yumei, Qianqiu Guang, Longxiang Fengwu, the “Sixty-Four Scenes of the Imperial Garden,” the “Thirty-Six Peaks of Huangshan,” the “Ancient Lake Scenic Poetic Garden,” the “Cotton Garden,” the “Ten Great Immortals,” the “Twelve Zodiac Poetic Garden,” and the “Earth Ink” that won the gold medal at the Panama International Exposition, along with copies of its award certificate, medals, and photographs. In addition, a rare and unique complete set of the Mo Shu (Ink Collection)—the only existing copy in Anhui Province (i.e., the imperial ink recipe collection of the Four Great Masters of Ink Making from the Qing Dynasty)—has been reproduced in thread-bound format and preserved in the museum. Also on display are reproduced copies of the Huizhou Ink Annals, Huizhou Annals, county annals of various counties, and relevant sections of the Mingjing Hu Clan Genealogy.

　　

　　Hu Kaiwen (1742~1808)　　“Hu Kaiwen” (1742–1808), the founder of the ink business, was Hu Tianzhu, styled Zhuchen and also known as Zaifeng. He was one of the Four Great Masters of Hui Ink during the Qing Dynasty and a native of Shangzhuang Village, Jixi, Huizhou. As a youth, he apprenticed at the Wang Qimao Ink Shop in Xiuning, Huizhou. Known for his honesty, diligence, and skill in shop management, he earned the deep trust of the owner and was promoted to a sales position. Through hard work traveling to ports and commercial hubs, he accumulated capital for starting his own business and later married the only daughter of Wang Qimao. In the 30th year of the Qianlong reign (1765), he took over the Wang Qimao Ink Shop. To produce high-quality ink, he selected the finest old ink molds, invested heavily in premium raw materials, and hired skilled artisans to carve molds and make ink. He also adopted the phrase “Tian Kai Wen Yuan” (“Heaven Opens a Garden of Literature”) from the Confucian Temple in Huizhou Prefecture... Details+