【Qing Dynasty】 Xiling Seal-Engravers' Society

Xiling Seal-Engravers' Society was founded in the 30th Year of Emperor Guangxu's reign (1904) by a group of seal engravers of Zhe School, including Ding Fuzhi, Wang Fu'an, and Wu Yin. Wu Changshuo was the first president. Its purpose was to "preserve ancient inscriptions, study seal engraving, and also include calligraphy and painting." It is the oldest, most accomplished, and most influential folk art group in the world for the study of seal engraving, calligraphy, and painting, with a reputation as the "number one society in the world." Located at the southern foot of Solitary Hill in the West Lake Scenic Area, the society covers an area of 7,090 square meters with a building area of 1,750 square meters. The pavilions and towers are arranged in a picturesque manner due to the high and low terrain, making it a masterpiece of Jiangnan Gardens. The main buildings include the Baitang Hall, the Bamboo Chamber, the Yangxian Pavilion, and the Huanpu Exquisite Cottage, all of which are hung with inscriptions and couplets. There are also outdoor stone carvings and inscriptions by famous people. The China Seal Museum, located inside the society, houses more than 6,000 seals and works of calligraphy and painting from various dynasties. It is a key cultural relic under protection at the national level. In 2009, "Chinese Seal Engraving Art" led by the Xiling Seal-Engravers' Society was successfully selected as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" by UNESCO. 

In 2021, it was selected as one of the "Ten Representative Historical and Cultural Buildings in Hangzhou" by the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism. The reason for the selection is that the Xiling Seal-Engravers' Society is China's most famous seal engraving art group, containing rich cultural information about the late Qing Dynasty such as research on Chinese inscriptions and seal art, literati gatherings, and Jiangnan garden art, etc. It is an important carrier of West Lake culture and has a unique cultural value.