Anhua Handmade Paper

Anhua Handmade Paper

　　Handmade paper is one of the main specialties of Anhua. The Tongzhi-era *Annals of Anhua County* records that during the Ming Dynasty, the paper-making industry had already begun to develop in Anhua. From the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, thanks to abundant local resources, handmade paper flourished, with production steadily increasing and annual exports reaching over one million yuan. In February of the 21st year of the Republic of China (1932), an article titled *Improving the Paper Industry* stated: “Paper is a major product of Anhua, with the largest output coming from Guihua Town.” The *Paper Industry in Hunan*, published in February of the 31st year of the Republic of China (1942), noted: “Hunan’s paper production volume… with Anhua ranking first.” The recorded output was 372,000 dan of paper.