Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage | Xuan Paper | Papermaking

Xuan Paper

Xuan paper is a Chinese handmade paper tradition from Jing County, Anhui, valued by calligraphers, painters, printers, and conservators for its strength, smooth surface, ink response, and long-lasting fiber structure.

Understand the Heritage See the Practice

Xuan Paper | 宣纸传统制作技艺

What is Xuan Paper?

UNESCO inscribed traditional handicrafts of making Xuan paper on the Representative List in 2009.

Official heritage sources describe Xuan paper as a craft centered on local water, climate, blue sandalwood bark, rice straw, manual pulping, sheet formation, sun drying, and cutting. The full traditional process is long and labor-intensive, so the page treats the paper as a living craft rather than just an art supply.

Close detail of Xuan paper fibers, ink brush, and handmade sheet texture — Xuan Paper becomes easier to understand when readers can see its materials, tools, gestures, or working setting.

Traditional Papermaking

Material, movement, place, and use make the tradition concrete.

Bark and straw Blue sandalwood bark and rice straw give the paper its fiber strength and ink-friendly surface.
Water and climate Jing County's water and mild climate are part of the official explanation for the craft's local character.
Handmade sheets Pulp is worked into thin sheets by skilled hand movement rather than industrial rolling alone.
Ink behavior Artists value Xuan paper because ink can spread, hold, soften, or sharpen depending on the sheet and brush.

Traditional Process

How Xuan Paper is practiced

Xuan paper pulp, bamboo screen, water vat, and sun-drying wall in a papermaking workshop

Prepare raw fiberBark and straw are selected, soaked, washed, fermented, and processed into usable fiber.
Make the pulpThe material is beaten and mixed with water until the fiber can suspend evenly in the vat.
Form each sheetA screen lifts a thin layer of pulp from the vat, and the maker controls thickness by movement.
Press and dryWet sheets are stacked, pressed, separated, and brushed onto heated or sunlit surfaces to dry.
Inspect and cutFinished sheets are checked for texture, strength, surface behavior, and clean edges.

Heritage Facts

Xuan Paper belongs to a living knowledge system.

Centered in Jing County, Anhui Province, where local materials, water, climate, workshops, schools, and artisans sustain the craft.

Chinese Name宣纸传统制作技艺

UNESCO Listingtraditional handicrafts of making Xuan paper in 2009.

CategoryTraditional handicraft, papermaking knowledge, and material culture

Materials, Tools, or ElementsBlue sandalwood bark, rice straw, water vats, pulp, bamboo screens, brushes, drying walls, cutting tools

Common UsesCalligraphy, ink painting, book printing, rubbing, mounting, conservation, art education

SEO Topic ClusterPapermaking, calligraphy materials, Chinese writing arts, craft supply chains

FAQ

Common questions about Xuan Paper

Is Xuan paper the same as ordinary rice paper?
No. Overseas shops often use loose labels, but Xuan paper heritage specifically refers to handmade paper from Jing County using bark, rice straw, water, and long manual processing.

Why do calligraphers care about Xuan paper?
Its surface and fibers change how ink spreads, dries, and shows brush pressure.

Is the craft still practiced?
Yes. Official sources describe workshops, schools, and artisans in Jing County continuing the craft today.

Sources and Related Guides