Xuan Paper Culture Park

Xuan Paper Culture Park

The Xuan Paper Culture Park is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Xuan Paper Culture Park is located in Jing County, Anhui Province, and consists of seven parts: ancient Xuan paper workshops, an experience park for the Four Treasures of the Study, a museum of Xuan paper and world papers, an art gallery (including artists’ studios), a market for the Four Treasures of the Study and calligraphy & painting works, as well as a garden showcasing ancient book printing and Jiangnan folk customs.

The Xuan Paper Culture Park has a total investment of about 25 million yuan and covers an area of nearly 40,000 square meters. Visitors to the park can not only observe the thousand-year-old traditional craftsmanship of making Xuan paper, but also learn about the production processes of paper, ink, brushes, inkstones, fans, and paper screens. Moreover, they can personally try their hand at making these items.

Jing County is known as the hometown of Chinese Xuan paper. In 2006, the “craftsmanship of making Xuan paper” was approved by the State Council as part of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List. The materials used for Xuan paper differ from those of ordinary paper—it primarily uses sandalwood bark as the main raw material, supplemented with straw from Shatian rice fields, and is handmade with the unique mountain spring water of Jing County. The production process is highly complex. The resulting Xuan paper is as thin as a cicada’s wing and as smooth as clouds. It boasts characteristics such as toughness, pure whiteness, fine texture, a glossy yet non-slippery surface, density with light permeability, as well as being resistant to decay and insects, highly ink-absorbent, and durable. Ideal for both calligraphy and painting, it can be preserved for a long time and is reputed as the “paper that lasts a thousand years,” making it highly favored by calligraphers and painters.

The renowned Chinese writer and historian Mr. Guo Moruo once said: “Xuan paper is an artistic creation invented by the working people of China. Without it, the subtlety of Chinese calligraphy and painting cannot be fully expressed.”

Xuan paper is a traditional classical Chinese paper used for calligraphy and painting, and is one of the traditional Han Chinese papermaking crafts. Originating in the Tang Dynasty and continuing through the ages, Xuan paper is known for its preservability, durability without becoming brittle, and resistance to fading—earning it the reputation of the “paper that lasts a thousand years.”

Xuan paper is categorized by processing method into raw paper and processed paper. After undergoing the final “baking” process, the nature of the paper (its quality and ink color effect) is largely determined. This finished paper, which undergoes “no further processing that affects its inherent nature,” is referred to as raw Xuan paper.

Processed paper refers to any paper that undergoes additional treatment to alter its surface properties or visual appearance—excluding mere resizing. Examples include printing, alum treatment, and polishing. Additionally, Xuan paper is classified by ink absorption into raw Xuan, semi-processed Xuan, and processed Xuan. Raw Xuan is used for calligraphy and freehand brushwork, while processed Xuan is used for detailed gongbi painting.