Daqian papermaking workshop, located in the deep bamboo forest, is filled with the fragrance of bamboo in the air, and the sound of throwing materials in the workshop is one after another. ...

Two papermakers are making paper by the sink.

Next to the two-meter-high "fire wall" in the west of the sink, two female workers hummed a little song, lifted the paper and hung it, while brushing the paper hanging on the wall, and the fire wall quickly dried the paper.

Jiajiang County, Sichuan Province, located on the banks of the Tsing Yi River, is a place with an ancient papermaking technology of 1000 years.

Jiajiang calligraphy and painting paper produced here is as famous as Anhui Xuan paper.

Jiajiang calligraphy paper, also known as calligraphy and painting paper and bamboo paper.

Jiajiang hand-made paper began in Tang Dynasty, flourished in Ming Dynasty and flourished in Qing Dynasty. Its production process is completely consistent with the procedure contained in Wu Kai in the Temple of Heaven in the Ming Dynasty. There are 15 links and 72 processes from material selection to papermaking.

In 2006, Jiajiang bamboo papermaking technology became the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.

In 2009, Jiajiang County successfully declared "the hometown of calligraphy and painting paper in China".

Nowadays, Jiajiang Handmade Papermaking Museum beside Qingyi River systematically shows people the long history of Jiajiang Handmade Papermaking in Cai Lun and its contribution to culture with rich historical materials and unique artistic techniques.

Cai Wengbei, which stands in the ancient Buddhist temple in Yingjiang Township, Jiajiang County, has a more concise description of Jiajiang's papermaking skills.

The Monument to Cai Weng has been preserved since the 19th year of Daoguang reign in Qing Dynasty. It says: "Chop its hemp (bamboo), remove its green, dye its ashes, cook it with fire, mortar wash its head, copy it with curtains and brush it with walls."

That is, chopping, pulping, cooking, rinsing, retting, tamping, bleaching, papermaking, squeezing and brushing bamboo and hemp.

Zhang Daqian searched for paper and improved Shu paper.

Jiajiang calligraphy and painting paper became "tribute paper" and "scroll paper" in Kanggan period, and reached its peak during the Anti-Japanese War, with an annual output of 10,000 tons, with a wide variety and excellent quality, ranking first in the country.

Zhang Daqian once called it the "national second treasure" which can be as famous as Anhui Xuan paper.

During the Anti-Japanese War, Anhui fell, and many Xuan paper workshops were forced to close down and stop production. Intellectuals who moved to the southwest rear cut off the source of rice paper, and Zhang Daqian was one of them.

At that time, rice paper was in short supply, and Zhang Daqian was still disappointed when he traveled all over Chengdu.

It is said that there is a well-known big trough household (handmade paper household) cross Ting Anne in Jiajiang County, and his calligraphy and painting paper has a good reputation. Zhang Daqian came to Shiyan Village, Macun Township many times, lived in Ting Anne, a lion, and studied papermaking technology with paper farmers.

Zhang Daqian instructed the paper maker to add hemp fiber to bamboo pulp to improve the strength of the paper, and to add a certain proportion of alum and rosin to the pulp to enhance the water resistance and whiteness of the paper.

And the paper format specifications were increased to 4 feet and 5 feet, creating a new generation of Jiajiang calligraphy and painting paper, with unique dark curtain patterns and the words "Ji Shu" and "Dafeng Hall".

Liu Mo, a painter and cultural scholar living in Beijing, has been attached to Jiajiang for more than 20 years. He goes to Jiajiang almost every year and has a deep understanding of local handmade paper making.

He said, "Jiajiang hand-painted calligraphy and painting paper is very smooth to use and can achieve immediate results, especially suitable for ink painting."

At present, there are only 14 Xuan paper production enterprises in Jingxian county, including Red Star, Wang Liuji, Wang Tonghe and Rixing.

The annual output of Xuan paper of these 14 enterprises is less than 800 tons, and the production and sales of Red Star alone account for more than 80% of the industry, with an annual output of 650 tons of Xuan paper, more than 300 products and annual sales income exceeding 100 million yuan.

Therefore, as soon as the price of Red Star Xuan paper rises, other brands of Xuan paper also rise.

First of all, the price of raw materials for rice paper is rising year by year.

Last year, a load 100 kg sandalwood bark was only 600 yuan, and this year it has risen to 800 yuan.

In other words, it is difficult to buy high-quality and affordable Anhui Xuan paper on the market now, and Shu paper in Jiajiang County is also a good choice.