Traditional Papermaking Technique

93.Traditional Papermaking Technique

Nominating Unit: Sihui Municipality, City of Zhaoqing

The traditional papermaking technique in Sihui which is located in the convergence zone of West River and North River mainly concentrates in Dengcun Town. According to the historical record and related genealogy, several families with their surnames Zhang, Chen, Cheng, Shen respectively migrated to Dengcun from Central Plain and brought with them the bamboo papermaking technology. Dengcun, surrounded by mountains with a lot of brooks and bamboo trees, has abundant resources for papermaking. Therefore, the traditional papermaking technique was handed down from generation to generation and so far, it has a history of over 800 years.

The paper made in traditional technique in Sihui is generally called Hui Paper which uses locally produced bamboo as material. The papermaking facilities include pickling pond, Shui Dao Fang(tamping workshop), paper tank, bleachery, Chao Zhi workshop, etc. The main apparatus are curtain rack, bamboo curtain and pressing rod. There are over 20 procedures in papermaking: bamboo cutting, bamboo cracking, bamboo pickling, bamboo crumbling, bamboo pounding, pulping, Chao Zhi (scoup up the pulp with net), paper squeezing, paper loosening, paper sun curing, packaging, etc. The bamboos first have to be immersed in the lime pond for half a year, then in the clear water for 4 months before heaping for half a month. The next step is pulping which is to pound the bamboo into pulp by a waterwheel-driven wooden pestle and then follows the papermaking and paper squeezing. The major technology links can be traced to the same origin as Cai Lun’s papermaking technique(cracking, boiling, pounding, Chao Zhi) which is over 1900 years ago described in ancient books Bo Wu Zhi and Hou Han Shu Ji Jie and as the ancient papermaking techniques recorded in Tian Gong Kai Wu written by Song Yingxing in the Ming Dynasty. The traditional papermaking technique is a live example of papermaking technique, one of the four great inventions of ancient China.

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Hui Paper, featured with course fibers, light and earth yellow and strong water absorption, can burn in dark fire and burns completely. It is mainly used in the making of paper box, paper board, firecracker, lion head, Ming Pin(the things made of paper and burned for the people who died in order to worship them) as well as Zhi Pu(used in the some crafts) and Zhi Mei(used as a kindling). Coupled with low price, Hui Paper is widely used in people’s daily life. Early in the mid-Qing Dynasty, the Hui Paper was sold in Guangzhou, Foshan, Hong Kong and Macao, even exported to Southeast Asia. A few years ago, there was an artist trying to paint on Hui Paper and created a style-specific work with modern technique. Later in “2004 Asian Attiya Visual Art Exhibition”, the work aroused deep interests in the art community and brought about their positive comments, which opened up a new way for Hui Paper.

In order to protect the ancient papermaking technique, the local government set up successively the “Traditional Methods Papermaking Exhibition Hall” used for introducing China’s papermaking history and “Traditional Papermaking Museum” used for displaying papermaking technique. However, the pouring emergence of new type of paper and plastic substitutes, the making of Hui Paper has been hit violently. Added with the limitations of family-style production and the unwillingness of young people to engage in this labour-intensive but low-economic-effi ciency work, Sihui traditional papermaking technique is endangered. There is an urgent need to take effective measures to protect it.