The Birthplace of Rice Paper

Rice paper originated in Jing County, Anhui Province. The early records of the county's papermaking can be found in imperial tribute listing, court edict, and local chronicles in 7th century.

Little Ridge

Around year of 1127 AD, Cao family moved to Little Ridge of Jing County to evade warfare then. For cultivated land was limited in the mountainous area, the family took papermaking as means of life and eventually became a major producer of rice paper.

The craft of rice paper was fully developed in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) with increased product varieties. In Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), the paper industry grew rapidly. On east of the county, there was grand paper mill of Wang family, while Cao family's workshop was flourishing on west of the county.

In 1851, the largest of peasant uprisings in China's history, which lasted over ten years, broke out. The population sharply reduced by the war, and scarcely a standing house could be seen in Little Ridge, let alone a paper mill. It took 15 years for papermaking reviving in the area.

From 1921 to 1937, rice paper reached the height of its prosperity with 44 paper mills producing over hundred tons of paper each year. However, its production suffered a disastrous decline during World War II with only 10 paper mills survived, and following Civil War totally destroyed the industry. All paper mills were closed by 1949.

The papermaking began to recover from 1950s. Currently there are about 30 paper mills making rice paper in Jing County.

The secret of rice paper
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