Commemorative Site of Cai Lun’s Papermaking

Commemorative Site of Cai Lun’s Papermaking

The Cai Lun Papermaking Commemorative Site is a cultural tourism attraction.

Lüzhuang Village is located in Shifo Town, 18 kilometers north of Yanggu County. According to the "Book of Han" and related historical records, in the first year of the Yuangxing era during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Lun directed his disciples to invent papermaking in Gucheng (present-day Yanggu), and the paper they produced was later referred to as "Cai Hou Paper," also known as "Gupaper." Gupaper has a long history and enjoys widespread fame. It is said that Cai Lun started his life as a eunuch in the imperial palace, and later rose from the position of Xiaohuangmen to become Shangfang Ling (Director of the Imperial Workshops), overseeing the palace workshops where he developed new papermaking techniques that improved the quality of paper. In the year 114 AD, he was granted the title of "Marquis of Longting," and the paper produced using his methods was also called "Longting Paper." Legend has it that Cai Lun traveled across China to teach his papermaking skills. He trained three disciples: the eldest specialized in making white Xuan paper from wood pulp, the second in making paper from mulberry bark and hemp pulp, and the third in making straw paper. The straw paper technique in Lüzhuang was passed down by the third disciple. On the 17th day of the third lunar month, villagers honor Cai Lun’s spirit tablet with firecrackers, incense, and prayers. In 1984, the county government built a Cai Lun Memorial Archway in front of the Yanggu Paper Mill. The two pillars of the archway bear a golden couplet: “Unrivaled in intent, the land of Gupaper needs no three mountains to proclaim its fame; leaving no shadow of the body, heaven and earth bear witness to this eternal endeavor.” The top of the left pillar is inscribed in gold with the characters “Cai Lun Archway.”

Cai Lun

( —121)

A native of Leiyang County, Hunan Province, during the Eastern Han Dynasty. His courtesy name was Jingzhong, and his birth year is unknown. In the late years of Emperor Ming’s reign, he entered the palace as a eunuch, eventually rising to the rank of Xiaohuangmen. During the reign of Emperor He, he served as Zhongchangshi and began participating in state affairs. He once held the position of Shangfang Ling, overseeing the production of imperial utensils.

In earlier times, people wrote on silk cloth or bamboo and wooden slips. “Silk was expensive and slips were heavy, making them inconvenient for use.” By the Western Han Dynasty, a primitive form of paper had emerged. People often found a layer of… More details about Cai Lun ++