A page out of history

The process of making a single sheet of Shiqiao paper involves more than 10 steps, including soaking, pulping, boiling, rinsing, pounding and drying, Wang says.

"To be more specific, after the bark is peeled off, it is soaked in water for 24 hours, before it is steamed with lime," he explains.

"You can see if the fibers are of good quality, and we use these fibers to make paper."

The fibers will then be soaked, cooked, and beaten into pulp. They are then placed in wooden molds for shaping. After being dried and tempered, a sheet of paper is completed.

The entire process is done manually using natural materials, and the paper has renowned characteristics, such as its flexibility, gloss and strong water absorbency, Wang says.

Experts have found that Shiqiao's papermaking process is basically in line with the interpretation from Tiangong Kaiwu, an encyclopedia that covers a wide variety of technical subjects, compiled by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) scientist Song Yingxing. They have confirmed that the village's papermaking industry came into existence during the Tang (618-907) Dynasty.

Wang's paper mill is one of the oldest in the village, and his family has been engaged in papermaking for 19 generations.

He began systematically learning traditional papermaking skills from his elder family members in 1981, right after he graduated from high school, when almost every family in the neighborhood worked in the industry.

The local papermaking tradition has been well-preserved, spanning numerous dynasties over the course of a millennium, and it is regarded as a "living fossil". Its longevity is attributed to its use of the bark of a local plant, which grows in the nearby mountains.

"The fibers of this plant are uniformly fine and consistent, making it suitable for producing high-quality paper," Wang explains.

However, since the 1990s, use of machine-made paper started to significantly affect the traditional business, and many families were forced to look elsewhere to make a living.

Wang was no exception.

"At that time, people preferred industrial paper because it was cheaper and more readily available in larger quantities," he recalls.

Consequently, Wang shifted his focus to the production of fuses for firecrackers. It was through these fuses that Wang's paper mill scraped by.

Unfortunately, Wang's business was set to receive another body blow. After a ban on privately made firecrackers was implemented in the late 1990s, Wang found himself in an unprecedented state of uncertainty.