Leather paper making technology

The name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: leather paper making skills

Applicant: Danzhai County, Guizhou Province

Item No.: 417

Project No.: VIII - 67

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Guizhou Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Danzhai County, Guizhou Province

Protection unit: Danzhai Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center

Brief introduction to the production technology of leather paper:

Applicant: Danzhai County, Guizhou Province

Papermaking is one of the four great inventions in ancient China. Bamboo paper and leather paper made from bamboo and Broussonetia papyrifera bark are two important varieties of traditional handmade paper. Guizhou is an area inhabited by ethnic minorities. Many areas in Guizhou still retain the ancient techniques of making traditional bamboo paper and leather paper, among which xiangzhigou (Buyi Nationality) in Guiyang City, Xiaotun in Zhenfeng county and Shiqiao (Miao nationality) in Danzhai county are the most outstanding.

Taking the bamboo paper produced in xiangzhigou as an example, it is said that it began in Hongwu Period of Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 600 years. The whole set of operation process includes 72 processes, such as cutting, breaking, retting, steaming, milling, pulp extraction, paper making, pressing, drying and air drying, which is exactly the same as the papermaking process in Song Yingxing's Tiangong Kaiwu. The finished product is both soft and tough, with invisible bamboo grain and light aroma.

The white tissue paper produced in Xiaotun of Zhenfeng county was founded in Xianfeng Period of Qing Dynasty. Up to the end of last century, there were still more than 1000 households engaged in paper-making production. The paper is made of textured leather, and the whole process has 72 steps. The finished product is soft, smooth and smooth.

The white paper produced by Shiqiao in Danzhai county also uses structured bark and fir root as raw materials, and also produces color paper, including six varieties of Yunlong wrinkle, concave convex, flattening, flower grass and hemp paper. The production process generally has more than ten links. In the production process, the cotton wadding pulp is mixed with water and added with "sliding agent", and the finished product is packaged after copying, pressing, drying and uncovering. The paper is tough, smooth and has good water resistance.

The above handmade paper products have strict requirements on raw materials, water quality and technology. The inheritance of the skills depends on oral and psychological instruction. Accompanied by manufacturing, rich paper industry customs are produced. Every year, the paper master Cai Lun is sacrificed. From these situations, the related bamboo paper and leather paper manufacturing technology has become an important evidence of cultural diversity and national identity. However, under the strong impact of modern paper industry, the inheritance of these complex and difficult Ancient Papermaking laws has become a problem, which needs to be rescued and protected.