Beijing Yidege is famed for its production of Chinese dark ink and has a history of more than one hundred years. In the 4^th year of Emperor Tongzhi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1865), Xie Songdai established the first ink store at No.44 Liulichang, Beijing. He named it “Yidege” and the plaque hung in front of the door was inscribed by him. As Xie had no offspring, he passed on the store to his apprentice after his demise.  Later, Yi De Ge became so prosperous that branches were set up in Tianjin, Shanghai, Xi’an, Zhengzhou and other cities consecutively. Yidege ink is made of high pigment carbon black, borneol, bone glue, musk and phenol, using traditional technique. The above-mentioned raw materials with their special and unique features made the ink smells mildly fragrant and durable for all the seasons.