What It Is

點石齋圖章店 (Diǎnshízhāi Túzhāng Diàn; their own romanisation: Dainshizhai Stamps and Seals) is a traditional 篆刻 (zhuanke) stone seal shop, founded in 1946 by Zhang Tingzhao (張廷朝), who brought the craft from mainland China where he trained in the classical tradition. The current proprietor is his son, Zhang Weilong (張渭隆), second generation, with over 40 years of practice beginning at age 8.

Every seal is cut entirely by hand using iron chisels. Zhang Weilong has stated that the shop has never used a computer-controlled cutter or laser engraver, and this is non-negotiable policy. This places 點石齋 in a vanishingly small category in Taipei: the majority of seal shops now use computer-aided or laser cutting.

The art of 篆刻 cuts characters — in ancient seal script (篆書), clerical script (隸書), or other historical scripts — into polished stone. The same practice authenticated imperial Chinese documents and scholars' paintings for two thousand years. A carved seal is a functional object: used to stamp artworks, letters, and documents for life.

Location

No. 1-1 Yuanling Street (沅陵街1-1號), Zhongzheng District — corner of Yuanling Street and Chongqing South Road.

Nearest MRT: NTU Hospital Station (台大醫院站, Green Line G12) — approximately 8 min walk. Taipei Main Station — approximately 12 min walk.

Yuanling Street is Taipei's shoe market lane: ~30 specialist footwear shops running between Chongqing South Road and Bo'ai Road. The street has zero tourist infrastructure. 點石齋 occupies the corner unit. Foreign visitors almost never visit it.

Hours and Closing Days

Mon–Fri: 09:30–19:30  |  Sat: 10:00–19:30  |  Closed Sunday

Phone: 02-2311-1606. Website: dstone.com.tw.

Items and Prices

  • Personal name seal (個人書畫章) in Qingtian stone (青田石) or equivalent: approximately NT$800–2,000, depending on stone quality and character complexity. Wait time: 1–3 days for carving. Prices not published online — contact the shop directly for a quote.
  • Higher-grade stone (壽山石 Shoushan, 瑪瑙 agate): NT$2,500–8,000+
  • Collector's mark (藏書章) for stamping inside book collections: same price range as personal seals
  • Paired seals (對章) for weddings or anniversaries: quoted per order
  • Vermillion ink pad (朱砂印泥): approximately NT$100–300

The raw stones — irregular river-polished Qingtian greenstone, Shoushan stone in amber, white, and mottled varieties — are objects worth examining. The shop stocks a range of stone sizes, some suitable as desk objects without carving.

Why It Is Unusual

Seal carving by hand is taught as a fine-arts discipline in Taiwan, but shops offering purely hand-cut service to the general public are nearly extinct. Computer-aided engravers can produce a seal in minutes; a hand-cut seal from 點石齋 takes days and is the direct product of a single craftsman. The shop appears in no major English-language Taipei travel guide. It does not appear on Klook, KKday, or GetYourGuide. The street it occupies draws no tourists.

Buying Advice

A custom-carved seal with the buyer's name rendered in classical Chinese script — typically seal script (篆書) — is a functional, unique, handmade object that cannot be replicated by a machine shop. For a November 2–6 trip: visit on Nov 2 or Nov 3 at opening (Mon–Fri from 09:30) to commission the seal; collect on Nov 4 or 5. Phone ahead (02-2311-1606) to confirm stone availability and current queue.

Verify opening on the day via phone if planning specifically around this stop — second-generation single-proprietor shops can close without notice.

Verification

Verified open Aug 2026: Threads community post (2025) confirming operation at current address and distinguishing hand-carving practice from machine shops; 2025 World Masters Games (雙北世壯運) Taipei cultural promotion page (travel.taipei/wmg2025); Taipei City government friendlystore.taipei listing (ID 7193); company registration confirmed under 張渭隆, 台北市中正區沅陵街1之1號1樓, company number 01108346.