The brick carving was first developed from the tiles and hollow bricks of the Eastern Zhou dynasty and the portrait bricks of the Han Dynasty. By the Ming Dynasty, the brick carving began to change from the brick carving used for tombs to the decorative brick carving of residential buildings. Beijing brick carving ranks first among the "Four Great Masters" of Chinese brick carving (Beijing brick carving, Anhui brick carving, Suzhou brick carving, Shanxi brick carving). Since Beijing was the capital city of the Ming and Qing dynasties, decorations such as glazed paintings were only available for large buildings such as palaces and temples, so small residential buildings adopted brick carving, which was widely used in Chinese courtyard houses.

Due to historical changes, Beijing brick carving, which reflects a unique style of the capital, has gradually been lost. Fortunately, the Zhang family has inherited the art of Beijing Brick Carving. Thanks to the persistence of many generations of craftsmen, including Zhang Shangzu, Zhang Jingtang, Zhang Tingxiang, and Zhang Tingwu, Zhang Shiquan, and Zhang Yan, this craft has been preserved and developed to this day. Beijing municipal government has recognized the sixth-generation carver Zhang Yan as the only inheritor of the Beijing brick carving, and given him the honorary name of "Brick Carving Zhang." The "Beijing Pocket Brick Carving Gift" designed and created by Zhang Yan was honored "Beijing Gift" in 2010. Beijing brick carving plays an important role in the field of Chinese brick art.

(Note: Content source is from inBeijing.cn.)