Cultural Study on traditional Chinese Papermaking: Problem Awareness and Research Review

Abstract

Papermaking is one of the outstanding creations of the Chinese nation, from the “Cai Lun’s Technique” of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the “Four Great Inventions” of modern times and further to the present academic hotspot of “intangible cultural heritage”. The naming and expression of this object reflect the cultural cognition and interpretation of papermaking in different periods of time. It is important to note that, in the context of the intercommunication between Eastern and Western discourses, the study of papermaking is not only about the exploration of the scientific value of a traditional technique, but also is the re-examination of the communication and dissemination of cultures and technologies between the East and the West, in order to form a new understanding of “Sinicized Europe”.