Cai Lun Paper Culture Museum

　　Introduction       The Cai Lun Paper Culture Museum is located in Longting Town, Yang County, right next to the Cai Lun Tomb Shrine—the memorial site and burial place of Cai Lun, the inventor of papermaking.

　　    The museum is mainly divided into two parts: the South Courtyard and the North Courtyard. The South Courtyard, shaded by green trees, features a five-bay, hip-and-gable roof ancient hall that serves as the “Paper Culture Exhibition Room.” It primarily displays the origin of paper, the development of papermaking techniques throughout various dynasties, calligraphy and paintings on paper, historical documents related to paper through the ages, and the spread of papermaking technology. The North Courtyard houses a corridor-style “Han Dynasty-style Paper Workshop,” showcasing the entire process of the most ancient handmade papermaking, authentically recreating the full papermaking procedure of “Cai Hou Paper” from the Han Dynasty. Visitors can even participate by wearing Han-style clothing, operating the papermaking process, and experiencing life as an ancient paper artisan.

　　    The museum area also features rustic straw sheds where visitors can enjoy traditional music, chat, and sip tea. In the front courtyard’s “Four Treasures Studio,” brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones are all available. Visitors can write or paint on “Cai Hou Paper” and leave behind their own calligraphic masterpiece as a souvenir.

　　 Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province

　　Cai Lun (61～121)　　 Cai Lun ( —121) A native of Leiyang County, Hunan, during the Eastern Han Dynasty. His courtesy name was Jingzhong, and his birth year is unknown. He entered the palace as a eunuch in the late reign of Emperor Ming, eventually rising to the rank of Xiaohuangmen. During the reign of Emperor He, he became a Zhongchangshi and began participating in state affairs. He once served as the Shangfang Ling, in charge of manufacturing imperial utensils. In the past, people wrote on silk or bamboo and wooden slips. “Silk was expensive and slips were heavy, which was inconvenient for people.” By the Western Han Dynasty, a primitive form of paper had emerged. When washing silk floss, people often found a thin layer of fiber on bamboo mats that could be written on—this was called fiber paper. Similarly, when washing hemp… Details+