| Description |
The unique water quality and mild climate of Jing County in Anhui Province in eastern China are two of the key ingredients in the craft of making Xuan paper that thrives there. Handmade from the tough bark of the Tara Wing-Celtis or Blue Sandalwood tree and rice straw, Xuan paper is known for its strong, smooth surface, its ability to absorb water and moisten ink, and fold repeatedly without breaking. It has been widely used in calligraphy, painting and book printing. |
| Social and cultural significance |
Xuan paper has the qualities of absorbing water and moistening ink, not being broken after being folded repeatedly, and not being moth-eaten and decomposed. While undertaking the practice of painting and calligraphy, the paper can lead ink with water and resist ink as well, thus makes the heavy strokes clearly separated while the light inks remain leaving traces. In this way, the paper contributes to the different colours of inks and the vivid display of wash and ink, thereby makes the Chinese art of painting and calligraphy leave a lasting reputation. The Xuan paper has a unique function suitable for both painting and calligraphy, which is still irreplaceable even when the paper-making technology has nowadays developed to a high level of mechanization. The traditional crafts of making Xuan Paper have provided the modern society with a safe and enduring carrier for writing among various other carriers. together with its peculiar halo-effect, Xuan Paper proves to be the best carrier for Chinese painting and calligraphy and enjoys high reputations of ‘Paper of Ages’ and ‘Paper King’. Without the traditional handicrafts of making Xuan Paper, it will be hard for the Chinese art of painting and calligraphy to be inherited. Without Xuan Paper, it will be difficult to preserve the world’s valuable paper classics longer. |
| Transmission method |
The skill of making of Xuan Paper appeared as early as in the eighth century and continues to be inherited from generations to generations. Until now, there are altogether 14 representative enterprises of paper-making, including China Xuan Paper Company Group, Jing County Wang Liuji Xuan Paper Mill and Jing County Wang Tonghe Xuan Paper Mill. They have also set up their Xuan Paper Associations. About 1/9 of the Jing County locals take Xuan-Paper-making as their careers directly or indirectly. Proposed by the Xuan Paper making artisans, the course of The Traditional Handicrafts of Making Xuan Paper is now offered in the schools of Jing County. Owing to the above-mentioned facts, Xuan Paper has already become the synonym of Jing County and the mention of Jing County at any time will naturally call up an association of Xuan Paper.
The whole process of making Xuan Paper covers more than 100 steps such as sunning and cutting, and lasts for more than two years. Since every step is time-consuming and hard to be illustrated in words exactly, it can only be accomplished through oral instruction and personal understanding. Besides, without the peculiar natural conditions such as local water quality and weather condition of Jing County, the technical requirements of making Xuan Paper cannot be met, although having the same source materials.
It is nearly impossible for only one person to inherit the skills of making Xuan Paper systematically, because the process of inheritance demands the inheritor not only to be clever and deft, but also to devote all his life to it. Nowadays, there are not more than 20 artisans who have grasped the whole set of skills of making Xuan Paper, including Xing Chunrong, the state-level inheritor of the traditional handicrafts of making Xuan Paper. |
| Community |
Since it came into being, the production of Xuan Paper has been located in Jing County of Anhui Province. Jing County is the only community in which there is good preservation of traditional handicrafts of making Xuan Paper. At present, more than six thousand people, among which one national and two provincial representatives, work in more than 100 workshops, mainly distributed in places of Wuxi, Suhong, Guba, Yangong, Dingqiao and etc. |
| Type of UNESCO List |
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List |
2009 |
