Where does yellow and white hemp paper come from?

Yellow and white hemp paper comes from Yizhou.

Yizhou hemp paper can be divided into different sizes in specifications and yellow and white in color, all of which are refined from hemp. It is particularly worth mentioning that jute paper can be stored for a long time without being corroded by insects, and it was valued by the court as a special writing paper in the Tang Dynasty.

There is no doubt that this kind of paper with good quality has been widely used in the printing of books after the invention of block printing, and its social demand is greater. In the Tang Dynasty, the imperial court specially stipulated that all kinds of official documents should be written on Yizhou hemp paper to copy four books collected by the eastern and western imperial courts.

Every year, a large amount of Shu paper is transported to Chang 'an and Luoyang as a tribute, which is often in short supply. According to historical records, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, "Taifu gave Shu County hemp paper five thousand times a month". It is conceivable that just one thing requires "5000 times" of monthly payment. It shows that the paper industry in central Sichuan has a large scale, high output and urgent social needs.

The function of hemp paper

Hemp paper is characterized by long fibers, thick pulp (with small protrusions on the paper) and tough paper, which is not easy to become brittle and discolored after more than 1000 years. The appearance can be divided into "white hemp paper" and "jute paper". The spacing of papermaking curtains varies from two to three centimeters, three to four centimeters, and five to six centimeters; Some horizontal curtains intersect with vertical curtains, and the distance between them is about one and a half fingers.

Jute, grass, and cloth that have not been smashed on the back are clearly identifiable; It can be used as a reliable basis for the identification of ancient books. Books in Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties were mostly made of hemp paper, which was not dominant in Song and Yuan Dynasties, and even rarer in Ming and Qing Dynasties, making it extremely difficult for future generations to forge them.

There are many kinds of hemp paper, including white hemp paper, jute paper, flax paper and Sang Ma paper, but they are mainly divided into white and yellow. White linen paper is white and smooth, with rough back and straw sticks. It is thin and hard. Paper lines are very wide, about one and a half fingers. Jute paper is slightly yellow and rough, and some are slightly thicker than white hemp paper.