Wengang

Wengang Township (文港镇) is a Township from Jinxian County, east of Jiangxi Province.

The Township is known for their brush pen industry, being called "The Capital of Brush Pen in China".^[1]

Characteristics

Zhoufang, a village of Wengang, has several buildings from Ming and Qing dynasty. In 2024, the population was 60,000.^[2]

Economy

Wengang has been producing brush pens for more than 1,600 years. The craft has been passed through generations, but during the 80's there was a decline in popularity due the proliferation of low-quality, mass produced pens.^[2] The rise of e-commerce was important for the recovery of the pen industry.^[3] In the 2000's, the Township boosted their production to attract tourists. In 2021, their techniques were listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in China.^[2]

In 2024, there were 400 companies and 2,200 workshops dedicated to calligraphy and half of the Township was employed in the industry. In 2023, the sales revenue of the Township was of ¥ 8.25 billion. In 2023, the Township received 82,000 tourists.^[2]

The Township is also known for producing counterfeit pens from famous brands, including Parker Pens and Montblanc.^[4]