A cultural paper trail

According to Tang, from the 1990s to 2010, the handmade paper industry suffered a heavy blow with the industrialization and the development of the internet, which lead to mass, mechanized production of paper and a decline in demand for handmade writing paper.

At least 90 percent of the handmade paper companies and workshops closed in the country, but a resurgence is underway.

He finds a new coordination between supply and demand. "I'm optimistic about the development of handmade paper, like Xuan paper. Although the demand has shrunk a lot, there are still reliable customers," says Tang.

"With modern technology, the shrinking of this industry is an inevitable trend across the whole world. But China, the birthplace of papermaking, still leads in the world when it comes to the number of workshops and people engaged with papermaking by hand, according to our research.

"Actually, over the past decade, many types of traditional handmade paper crafts have found new vitality. They attract people with their rich cultural connotations," says Tang.

Contact the writers at wangru1@chinadaily.com.cn