Zhou Yongping processes a Sizhou inkstone carving in Cengong County, SW China's Guizhou Province, on Sept 23, 2018. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

30 years' devotion has made Zhou an expert of historic inkstone carving. He also brought this traditional art to a new height.

CENGONG, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cengong County, known as Sizhou in ancient China, is home to the historic Sizhou inkstone. Along with the brush, paper and inkstick, the inkstone is considered one of the "Four Treasures of the Study" in classical Chinese literary culture and is widely used in Chinese calligraphy and painting.

Born in a family of inkstone carving for generations, Zhou Yongping, a 50-year-old inheritor of Sizhou inkstone carving, has been fascinated by this art for over 30 years and made great efforts to perfect it.

Zhou has founded a company aiming to modernize this traditional handicraft art and gain more market share with products of excellent quality and reasonable prices encouraged by support policies of local authorities. He has also taught many apprentices free of charge in a bid to revive this ancient handicraft.

Zhou processes a Sizhou inkstone carving in Cengong County, SW China's Guizhou Province, July 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Zhou (L) demonstrates how to clean a Sizhou inkstone to an apprentice in Cengong County, SW China's Guizhou Province, July 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Zhou demonstrates the carving techniques of Sizhou inkstone to his apprentices in Cengong County, SW China's Guizhou Province, July 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Zhou polishes a stone to make the Sizhou inkstone in Cengong County, SW China's Guizhou Province, July 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Zhou and his apprentice select stones to make the Sizhou inkstone in Cengong County, SW China's Guizhou Province, July 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

A painter draws with an inkstone in Shexian County of east China's Anhui Province.(Xinhua/Du Yu)