Traditional Chinese ink maker carries on 150-year-old family dream

With a history of more than 150 years, Tianbaozhai, is the only exiting traditional Chinese ink workshop in Yunnan. Li Yulin, the inheritor of the family business, carries on the time-honored ink-making skills, and sells ink products in China and even to Southeast Asian countries.

In Chinese, when we want to describe someone who is knowledgeable and well-educated, we often say: he or she has ‘a stomachful of ink’. As one of the four treasures of the study, traditional Chinese ink has special cultural connotations and represents wisdom and knowledge. 

 

KunTianbaozhai, the only exiting traditional Chinese ink workshop in Yunnan, is located in Tuanjie Town, ming, capital city of Yunnan Province. Li Yulin, the fifth generation inheritor of this time-honored brand, still sticks to the traditional ink-making skills. To make the best-quality ink, Li needs to complete 14 sophisticated processes. His products are popular in China and are even sold to Southeast Asian counties. 

In 2013, the ink-making skill of Tianbaozhai was inscribed into the list of Yunnan Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritages. As the only inheritor of traditional Chinese ink in Yunnan, Li Yulin is shouldering the family dream to keep the skill alive, even though the business brings humble income.