Wei Lizhong (left), an inheritor of the Chinese woodblock printing technique, and the curator of Hangzhou Shizhuzhai Museum, holds a lecture at the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University, the United Kingdom, on Jan 26. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Chinese woodblock printing, a traditional technique used to replicate outstanding works of Chinese painting and calligraphy, was recently highlighted at a seminar in the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University, in the United Kingdom.

Hosted by Wei Lizhong, an inheritor of the Chinese woodblock painting technique, the seminar presented a treasure house of exquisite works from Shizhuzhai Woodblock Printing Studio, an art museum in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province.

As an artist who has spent the last 30 years reviving ancient woodblock techniques and promoting them globally, Wei introduced to the audience the history, arts and techniques of woodblock painting of Shizhuzhai, which was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of China in 2014.

Impressed by the art of Chinese woodblock prints, the audience also got a chance to have some hands-on experience with the established master during the seminar.

To further promote the cultural heritage, a short-term training course on the Shizhuzhai woodblock painting will be held in Oxford University during the summer holiday along with other cultural exchange programs.

Chinese woodblock printing first appeared in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and reached their peak in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), where they represented traditional Chinese aesthetics. Wei's studio got the name Shizhuzhai from a renowned printing house in the Ming Dynasty.