Papermaking

 Papermaking is one of the Four Great Inventions of China. Paper is a sheet of fiber products used for writing, printing, painting, or packaging. It is generally made from a water suspension of plant fiber that has been processed, combined in a mesh, initially dehydrated, and then compressed and dried. China is one of the earliest countries to invent paper. Archaeological discoveries have found paper from the Western Han Dynasty. Papermaking is an outstanding invention in the history of human civilization. In 105 AD, Cai Lun, in the Hanzhong region of Shaanxi, summarized the experience of his predecessors and improved the papermaking technique, using materials such as bark, hemp fibers, rags, and old fishing nets. This greatly improved the quality and production efficiency of paper, expanded the source of paper materials, and reduced the cost of paper, opening the prospect for paper to replace bamboo and silk, creating favorable conditions for the spread of culture.

Cai Lun

In the year 105, Cai Lun summarized the experience of his predecessors and improved the papermaking technique in the Hanzhong region of Shaanxi. He used materials such as bark, hemp fibers, rags, and old fishing nets to make paper, which greatly improved the quality and production efficiency of the paper, expanded the source of raw materials, and reduced the cost of paper. This opened the prospect for paper to replace bamboo and silk, creating favorable conditions for the spread of culture. According to historical records, the “History of the Later Han Dynasty·Cai Lun’s Biography” states: “Since ancient times, books and contracts have been compiled in bamboo tubes; those using silk are called ‘paper.’ Silk is expensive and the bamboo strips are heavy, which is not convenient for people. Cai Lun came up with the idea of using tree bark, hemp fibers, old rags, and fishing nets to make paper.” Henceforth, he was revered as the inventor of papermaking in our country.

Ancient papermaking methods

Take the bamboo paper manufacturing method recorded in the ancient Chinese book "Tian Gong Kai Wu" as an example for introduction. The steps for making paper from bamboo in ancient times are as follows:

1. Cutting bamboo and floating it in ponds, using tender bamboo, placing it in ponds, and allowing it to ferment for over 100 days, using natural microorganisms to decompose and wash away the green skin of the bamboo.

2. Boil the bamboo legs with fire, and put the bamboo obtained above into the 'wavering barrel' to steam with lime for eight days and eight nights.

3. Milling, take the processed bamboo and place it in a stone millstone. Hit it with a stone pounder until the bamboo is crushed into a mud-like consistency.

4. Pour the broken bamboo pieces into the water trough, and use a bamboo screen to stir the material in the water. The bamboo pieces will form a thin layer on the screen, and the remaining water will flow down the sides of the screen into the trough.

5. Cover the screen with paper, then repeat the process of moving the screen back and forth to allow the wet paper to fall onto the board, forming a sheet of paper. Repeat this process of dipping the screen and covering it repeatedly to accumulate hundreds of wet paper sheets, and then add a board on top to press and squeeze out most of the water.

6. To dry the paper, spread the wet paper on a surface and bake it dry. The baking equipment is made of earthen bricks with a passageway in the middle. A fire is lit in the passageway, and when the temperature of the earthen bricks rises, the wet paper is pasted on and baked dry. After drying, the paper is removed to obtain the finished product.

The significance of papermaking

Papermaking - especially the papermaking technique improved by Cai Lun during the Eastern Han Dynasty (also known as 'Cai Hou Paper'), was a revolution in writing materials. It was convenient to carry, had a wide range of materials, and promoted the cultural development of China, the Arab world, Europe, and even the entire world.

After the invention of writing, the important thing is to have a good carrier. The ancient Egyptians used papyrus from the Nile to record history; in ancient Europe, people also used animal skins, such as sheepskin, for a long time to write. In China, before the invention of paper, oracle bones, bamboo strips, and silk were used as materials for writing and recording. However, oracle bones and bamboo strips are quite heavy, and it takes a whole cart just to read the petitions of Qin Shi Huang; although silk is light, the cost is very expensive and is not suitable for writing. In the Han Dynasty, due to the rapid economic and cultural development of the Western Han Dynasty, oracle bones and bamboo strips could no longer meet the needs of development, which prompted the improvement of writing tools - paper was invented. Paper is an important chemical process, and the invention of paper is a very valuable contribution made by China to the spread and development of human culture, and it is a significant achievement in Chinese history, which has also had a significant impact on Chinese history.