Xishan Paper

Xishan Paper

　　Xishan Paper: Already renowned during the Tang and Song dynasties, it has a history of over a thousand years to date. Known for its fine texture, flexibility, smooth and clean surface, strong water absorption, resistance to insect damage even when stored for long periods, and superior quality, it has been popular both domestically and abroad, being sold to more than twenty countries and regions. In those days, Emperor Qianlong was also moved by it and personally ordered imperial envoys to Jian’ou to source the paper for printing the Complete Library in Four Branches of Literature. From 1974 to 1976, the General Office of the State Council and the National Press and Publication Administration repeatedly commissioned paper from Jian’ou to print the thread-bound edition of Mao Zedong’s Poems and important historical documents.

　　Our county is one of the earliest places in China to produce handmade paper, among which the “Xishan Paper” from Longxi Mountain is the most famous. It is made from carefully selected materials, has few flaws on the paper surface, strong water absorption, and remains free from deformation, decay, or insect damage for a long time. It is praised as having “a lifespan of a hundred years, pure as jade and clean as ice,” and has enjoyed fame overseas since the Tang and Song dynasties.

　　The raw material for making Xishan Paper is young moso bamboo, and the harvesting season is particular—it must be during the specific time when the small bamboo shoots are just about to sprout leaves after the Beginning of Summer. When compiling the Complete Library in Four Branches of Literature, Emperor Qianlong ordered imperial envoys to Jian’ou to source the paper for printing. The golden age of “Xishan Paper” was during the Republic of China period, when over a hundred workshops produced more than 50,000 dan of paper annually, the highest in Fujian Province. “Xishan Paper” was also famously used as the dedicated paper for the thread-bound editions of Selected Works of Mao Zedong and Mao Zedong’s Poems, gaining widespread recognition.

　　However, with the passage of time, even the once glorious “imperial paper” could not escape decline. Twenty years ago, there were still more than 60 paper-making workshops in the vicinity. Today, the Longxi Mountain paper workshop is the only one left in Jian’ou. The workshop is located deep within the bamboo sea of the Longxi Mountain Nature Reserve. A large room serves as the workshop, connected to the adjacent drying room, while outside are the soaking pits and grinding troughs, all looking very primitive and rustic. In 1998, this last remaining but barely sustainable paper workshop was placed under the management of the Longxi Mountain Nature Reserve and opened to the public as a scenic spot. On October 30, 2005, the craft of making Xishan Paper was designated by the provincial government as one of the first batch of “Intangible Cultural Heritages.”

　　Today, this “most primitive and complete handmade paper workshop existing in China” produces 10 bundles (a total of 2,000 sheets) of “Xishan Paper” per day.

　　Drying the wet paper on the baking rack requires careful control of the heat—just right. The undried paper is very fragile and needs to be handled with care. Picking up the wet paper not only requires even force but also good coordination.