Wúxìng

Wuxing, the old heart of Huzhou south of Lake Tai, is renowned for silk and writing brushes. Its waterways connect a country of mulberry cultivation with towns where silk is reeled and woven, while skilled brush makers supply the tools of scholars and painters. Under the Yuan, Wuxing's calligrapher Zhao Mengfu belonged to a circle of scholars whose association with local craftsmen helped establish the fame of Huzhou brushes. Ming writers praised the brush makers of Wuxing, and the region's silk towns likewise grew as centres of specialised production and trade.