Meer
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Credited to Cai Lun around 105 CE, traditional Chinese papermaking is one of the world’s oldest manual crafts, relying on natural fibers like mulberry bark, bamboo, hemp, and rice straw. The labor-intensive process of soaking, cooking, pulping, shaping, pressing, and drying created strong and refined paper, with Xuan paper becoming one of its most celebrated examples and an important element of intangible cultural heritage
Originating around 600 AD and flourishing during the Tang Dynasty, woodblock printing in China revolutionized the spread of knowledge and literacy. The technique involved carving text and images onto pearwood or jujube wood blocks and led to the production of the world’s earliest dated printed book, the Diamond Sutra (868 AD). Woodblock printing remained one of the dominant printing methods in East Asia until the 19th century
Late Han Dynasty fresco depicting nine chariots, fifty horses, and more than seventy figures, discovered in a tomb in Luoyang, China
Dating back nearly two thousand years, traditional Chinese papermaking is a handmade craft associated with Cai Lun and based on the use of plant fibers including mulberry bark, hemp, bamboo, and rice straw. Through a careful process of pulping, molding, pressing, and drying, artisans produced high-quality paper such as Xuan paper, renowned for its durability and cultural significance
Developed in China around 600 AD and widely used during the Tang Dynasty, woodblock printing transformed communication, education, and the circulation of knowledge. By carving text and illustrations onto pearwood or jujube wood blocks, artisans produced works such as the Diamond Sutra (868 AD), the world’s earliest dated printed book, and the technique remained influential until the 19th century

On the Street

Explore the Calendar

Subscribe
Get updates on the Meer