In 1979, the then 19-year-old followed in his father's footsteps, starting to work in the ink stone factory. The tough man's artistic talent and constant endeavor to perfect his skill turned him into the most prolific engraver in the factory.

One day, he met some Japanese collectors who had traveled a long way to the small county in East China's hinterland to appreciate the etchings on the local ink stones and to learn about the history of the craft.

"I was then determined to work harder to further promote the craft that originated in my hometown," he says.

As the country adopted its policy of reform and opening-up in 1979, Shexian county's ink stones were soon plunged into a larger market. In the 1980s, factories and family workshops that produce ink stones sprang up across the county.

To standardize their production, Hu, who was reputed to be one of the best craftsmen in the county, decided to found a company and launched his own ink stone brand Heshibi in 2001.

Seven years later, he established a museum that records the evolution of the ink stone craft in Shexian and displays fine examples of local work.

Both the museum and his company have been turned into a study tour destination, which welcomed more than 80,000 students in 2019.