胎毛笔文化再次盛行起来

胎毛是婴儿离开娘胎后一生当中，第一次剪下的头发，具有先天之灵气，是制作毛笔的最好材料。胎毛笔是是小宝宝离娘胎出身后唯一可留作纪念的，它具有人生仅有一次的自然发锋，弥足珍贵。因此曾经的华夏文化中的胎毛笔如今又在新一代宝宝中盛行开来。

Little Yiping is getting her first haircut. She is three months old and curious about the electric clippers that are being used to shave her head.

In China it is traditional for babies to get their hair shaved off either when they reach one month or 100 days old.

In the past, this was a time when families felt they could be fairly confident that the baby would survive.

Ancient tradition came up with a special use for the shaved hair - brushes. The custom has recently become popular again among Chinese people looking for a special once in a lifetime gift for their often only child. Gao Lei, Yiping's father says he wanted something special.

"Things like a hand print or a footprint are really quite common now. But with the calligraphy brush it is something more fresh, and a calligraphic brush is something cultural. In addition it is something that was a part of her body, it has more meaning than a hand print or footprint. Then it is something that can be saved for a long time to come. We think a baby hair brush is a fitting choice."

A salesman from Jinghua Calligraphic Brush Company has brought a range of brush samples to the new parents' home.

While the baby sleeps in the other room, mom and dad get on with the business of finding the right pen that they will eventually present to their daughter - perhaps at her graduation, or on her wedding day or some other special day in the future.

Brushes were made of simple bamboo or wood and cost around 30-60 yuan or about 5 to 10 US Dollars. Now they average much more.

Yiping's parents like most parents, want the best of everything for their only child. They settle on a brush with a carved phoenix - a traditional symbol for females. The cost is approximately 600 yuan or 100 US Dollars.

Yiping's hair is carefully labeled in an envelope and taken to the factory. Located on the outskirts of Beijing, it supplies most calligraphy brushes in the city.

The company says they make on average 3,000 handmade brushes per month - 150 of which are baby hair brushes. In a busy month - after certain festivals they might make 400.

There are about 20 professionals left in Beijing who handmake calligraphy brushes. They must work for 3-5 years making ordinary brushes before being considered experienced enough to be trusted with making a baby hair brush.

Master Jia has worked here for more than 20 years. He explains how it's vital to get baby brushes right.

"A baby hair brush can only be made once for each child, since the first growth of hair is pointed at the end. So this lends a unique quality and makes it a special kind of souvenir. So many parents are choosing this - to keep for a lifetime."

The surge in demand for these specialty brushes is playing a part in keeping an ancient tradition alive. Mr Jia says the calligraphy and rushes will continue to be part of modern Chinese culture despite its decreasing use in daily life.

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.