Shitang Paper Workshop Complex

Shitang Paper Workshop Complex

The Shitang Paper Workshop Complex is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangxi Province.

Legend has it that before the establishment of the county during the Southern Tang Dynasty, there were ten square ponds to the north of Shitang Village, hence the homophonic name “Shitang” (literally “Stone Pond”). To its south lies Wuyishan Town, and to its north is Jiaxuan Township. The hand paper-making industry emerged in Shitang during the Yuan Dynasty, and by the Ming Dynasty, it had developed into a center and distribution hub for handmade paper across neighboring counties, as well as one of the largest rural market towns in the county.

Shitang is one of only two market towns in Yanshan County that were fortified with walls. The wall was built along the river side, with a wide and deep moat outside. Constructed in 1932, the wall stretched 3.5 li in circumference and featured six gate towers, each about 15 square meters in size. Today, around 100 meters of the wall remain preserved.

The town is embraced by clear streams winding through green hills, where mountains, water, and streets coexist in harmony, creating a profound and poetic ambiance. The Tongjiang River and three man-made canals meander through the town, with houses either nestled close to the water or built spanning over it, forming continuous streets.

The entire town is built in a spindle shape running from north to south. Shitang Street stretches over 1,200 meters in length and is 4–5 meters wide, entirely paved with bluestone slabs—an astonishing sight. Shops line the street in close rows, often sharing walls, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere. The shop buildings feature wooden frames with brick walls, with the storefront at the front and the living quarters at the back. Elements such as stone supports, arched lattice windows, corridors, shop signs, and tiled eaves are adorned with exquisitely carved wood, stone, and brick ornamentation in diverse designs. The architectural art and style, blending elements from Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces, are displayed to their fullest. The wooden door panels of the shops are almost all made of fir, sourced abundantly from the dense fir forests on the surrounding hills. The door panels could be opened or removed, allowing shop fronts to open up as widely as possible to the street. The houses on both sides of the street all feature a type of overhang—projecting toward the street to form covered walkways, convenient for pedestrians.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units