BY XING WEN and ZHU LIXIN
Amid the spectacle of the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Beijing in August 2008 the colossal screen in the Bird’s Nest stadium displayed the process of creating a traditional Chinese painting, from the making of Xuan paper and the delicate brushwork applied to its surface, to the art of mounting the finished masterpiece on a scroll.
The short film not only showcased the allure of China’s “four treasures of the study”, namely Xuan paper, brushes, ink and ink slabs, but also conveyed the serenity of classical Chinese art.
Clad in pristine white robes, craftspeople skillfully executed the steps involved in making Xuan paper, an exquisite and enduring material closely associated with Chinese calligraphy and paintings.
The age-old craft continues to be faithfully practiced by a dedicated group of craftspeople in Jingxian county, Xuancheng, Anhui province. The enduring tradition has not only made the county one of the country’s leading hubs for handmade paper, but has also breathed new life into its culture and tourism sectors.
Nestled at the base of emerald hills in Jingxian is a white structure that resembles a stack of gracefully arranged paper.
This is the Xuan Paper Museum, dedicated to the history and craft of Xuan paper production that displays masterpieces of traditional calligraphy and painting.
The museum is part of Xuan Paper Cultural Park, constructed by China Xuan Paper Co., Ltd. People can visit workshops to experience the traditional way Xuan paper is made.
Apart from producing paper in a variety of sizes, China Xuan Paper Co., Ltd. also makes cultural and creative products made from the paper, such as foldable lanterns shaped like books and paper umbrellas. Huang Yingfu, deputy chief manage
