The craft of making Baisha Maolong pen originated in the Ming Dynasty. The founder was Chen Baisha (1428-1500), a famous ancient Chinese philosopher, poet and calligrapher. He also created the art of Maolong pen calligraphy. Qu Dajun's "Guangdong Xinyu" in the early Qing Dynasty once recorded in detail: "Baisha likes to use Maolong pen. He lives in Guifeng Mountain. The Maolong pen grows on the rocks. It is white and strong. He uses the heart of the Maolong pen to bind the pen. His writing is mostly wild. Baisha should be called Maojun and Maolong." In order to commemorate Chen Baisha's contribution, the later generations named it Baisha Maolong pen. Baisha Maolong pen is made of the local specialty of Guifeng Mountain, the thatch, through selection, hammering, soaking, scraping, cutting, and decoration. The grass used is very particular. The grass must be picked from the leeward side, facing the sun, neither too old nor too young, with strong and thick stems and appropriate length. After cutting, the stems must be hammered into a flat shape, dried in the sun and soaked for 23 days, and then the grass can be scraped and cut according to the designed pen shape, that is, the grass is quickly scraped with a sharp knife and a file and hand-pulled into a pen blank. This process is the most critical and directly related to the molding and use effect of the Maolong pen, and requires skilled skills. After the pen blank is dipped in glue, air-dried and combed, it is tied with red and white velvet, and equipped with pen caps, ribbons and other accessories, and the Maolong pen is ready. Baisha Maolong Pen is made of special materials and has a unique production process. It has the outstanding characteristics of uniform fiber, moderate hardness and softness, good ink absorption, elasticity, smooth writing, and toughness and durability. Because the pen head has no pen tip, there is a gap in the stroke when writing, which is particularly suitable for cursive script and can also be used to outline the exposed white lines of Chinese paintings. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, there were pen shops specializing in making Maolong pens in the local area. From the late Qing Dynasty to before the Anti-Japanese War, a large-scale "pen-making street" appeared. Maolong pens were exported to Japan, Southeast Asia and Australia. In 2008, Baisha Maolong pens were selected into the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage list. Chen Xianzhang (1428-1500) Chen Xianzhang (1428-1500) was named Gongfu and Shizhai. He was from Xinhui, Guangdong. Later, he moved to Baisha Village in Jiangmen, so people often called him Chen Baisha. He first studied under Wu Yubi. He advocated "learning is about knowing doubts" and "independent thinking", and advocated a relatively free and open style of study. Gradually, a school with its own characteristics was formed, which was known as the Jiangmen School. His works were later compiled into "The Complete Works of Baishazi". Chen Xianzhang is the most famous Neo-Confucianist and poet in Lingnan. He is also a calligrapher who is original and daring to create. His calligraphy is the most distinctive and famous in the Lingnan calligraphy world. He was good at calligraphy and used bundles of straw as pens, which he used exclusively in his later years, forming his own style......More>>>Chen Xianzhang (1428-1500) Chen Xianzhang (1428-1500) was named Gongfu and Shizhai. He was from Xinhui, Guangdong. Later, he moved to Baisha Village in Jiangmen, so people often called him Chen Baisha. He first studied under Wu Yubi. He advocated "learning is about knowing doubts" and "independent thinking", and advocated a relatively free and open style of study. He gradually formed a school with its own characteristics, which was historically known as the Jiangmen School. His works were later compiled into "The Complete Works of Baishazi". Chen Xianzhang was the most famous Neo-Confucianist and poet in Lingnan, and also a calligrapher who was original and daring to create. His calligraphy was the most distinctive and famous in the Lingnan calligraphy world. He was good at calligraphy and used a bundle of grass as a pen, which he used exclusively in his later years, forming his own style......more>>>Chen Xianzhang (1428--1500) was named Gongfu and Shizhai. He was from Xinhui, Guangdong. Later, he moved to Baisha Village in Jiangmen, so people often called him Chen Baisha. He first studied under Wu Yubi. He advocated "learning is about knowing doubts" and "independent thinking", and advocated a relatively free and open style of study. He gradually formed a school with its own characteristics, which was historically known as the Jiangmen School. His works were later compiled into "The Complete Works of Baishazi". Chen Xianzhang was the most famous Neo-Confucianist and poet in Lingnan. He was also a calligrapher who was original and daring to create. His calligraphy was the most distinctive and famous in the Lingnan calligraphy world. He was good at calligraphy and used a bundle of grass as a pen, which he used exclusively in his later years, forming his own style......more>>>