"It seems that traditional handicrafts and craftsmanship have again become fashionable, so people are calling for the preservation of Chinese cultural heritage," says Yu, who has been working with Lin during the past four years to revive the brush's power.

"I think it is high time we created the best quality Helianqing writing brushes for today's users and collectors," Yu adds.

But realizing such a glamorous comeback was not easy. Despite the brand's fame, Yu and Lin found they have to innovate to meet the demands of modern consumers.

Wu Zhengyi, a folk artist in Shanlian Township, has 25 years' experience engraving patterns, portraits or words on the bamboo or wooden holders of writing brushes. But Lin and his advisors rejected Wu's first batch of containers last year.

"I had tried my utmost, and could not go further," recalls Wu, who flew from Zhejiang Province to meet Lin in Beijing.

"I came to understand that I must meet the strict technical and artistic requirements with new ideas and continue to improve my skills," Wu says.

The most critical component of the writing brush is the tip. Traditionally, there were 72 steps involved in creating such a brush. Today, the procedure has been expanded to 150 steps, with improved results, Lin says.

"Everyone involved in this mission has to be open-minded and ready to make adjustments so that he or she can better accomplish this demanding task," Lin says.

To revive the ancient art, Lin and his advisors traveled far and wide to find talented craftsmen to produce the writing brushes, copyrighted designs and packaging.

Lang Sen, an art professor with the Beijing Fashion and Design College, eagerly joined Lin and Yu three years ago. The reputable calligrapher and birds-and-flowers painter gained support from artists such as Fan Zeng and Aisin-gioro Pu Ren, as well as experts from the Palace Museum.

Because the selected artists live in locations scattered across the country, Lin makes monthly travels to collect materials for the brushes before putting final touches on the handicrafts at his workshop in Shunyi, in suburban Beijing.

Because the raw materials for top-quality brushes are so rare, Lin and his team have created only about 2,000 top-quality Helianqing writing brushes.

Last month, the Palace Museum inked a deal with Lin to develop a series of writing brushes that are high-fidelity imitations of the brushes created for emperors.

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