Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Route: Fate Brought Us to Jing County – A Complete Self-Drive Guide: 3-Day/2-Night Journey on the Jiangnan Heavenly Road – Perfect Dragon Boat Festival Trip with Kids to Explore Xuan Paper History

Time: March 20, 2021 – March 22, 2021

Travelers: A family of three

Vehicle: Baojun 310W station wagon

Day 1: Shanghai – Jing County, overnight at Hanting Hotel (Jing County branch).

Day 2: Jing County – full Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway – Guangde, overnight at Home Inn (Guangde branch).

Day 3: Guangde – Shanghai

This was truly a spur-of-the-moment trip. On the 19th, I told my husband that we had three days free—how about we go somewhere? Once he agreed, we immediately packed our travel essentials and, early on the morning of the 20th, set off on a springtime journey through southern Anhui.

The starting point of our trip was Jing County in Xuancheng, Anhui. Like most people, I had always assumed that the Xuan paper, one of the Four Treasures of the Study, was produced in Xuancheng. But in fact, the true birthplace of Xuan paper is Jing County. We were very fortunate to witness the thousand-year-old traditional craft of making Xuan paper, learn about the production of paper, ink, brushes, inkstones, fans, and paper screens, and even try our hand at making them ourselves. The trip was both fun and educational, allowing our child to experience the charm of traditional culture.

Tickets for the China Xuan Paper Culture Park are 50 yuan. When I visited in March, women got half price. Children under 1.2 meters (excluding 1.2m) are free; those between 1.2m (inclusive) and 1.4m (exclusive) get half price. Seniors aged 65 and above (inclusive) are free; those aged 60 (inclusive) to 65 (exclusive) get half price. Military personnel with officer ID and disabled persons with disability certificate are free.

The Xuan Paper Culture Park consists of seven sections: the ancient Xuan paper workshop, the Four Treasures of the Study experiential garden, the Xuan paper and world paper exhibition hall, a calligraphy and painting gallery (including artists' studios), a market for the Four Treasures and artworks, an ancient book printing area, and a Jiangnan folk customs garden.

This is a well-preserved old workshop from the past.

The factory displayed an eight-meter-long Chinese painting on Xuan paper—absolutely stunning!

It was only at the Xuan Paper Museum in Jing County that I truly came to understand this national treasure. Many people like to hang paintings or calligraphy works in their Chinese-style studios—whether their own creations or those of famous artists—to display refinement. Yet most are unaware that the making of Xuan paper, which is durable, resists decay and insects, and absorbs ink in endlessly subtle ways, is a complex process.

[Selection of Materials] The unique handcrafted Xuan paper is made from two raw materials: the bark of the blue sandalwood tree and the straw from sandy rice fields. Both must undergo day after day of soaking, washing, steaming, and sun-drying before they are ready for papermaking.

[Sun-drying Flats] After sun-drying, the straw and bark become what are known as 'burned straw' and 'burned bark'.

[Selection and Picking] After multiple stages, the resulting bark material is still inspected by hand, and any substandard or discolored bits are removed.

The so-called 'pounding the bark' involves placing the fibers in a stone mortar and pounding them repeatedly with a large wooden mallet. This process is long—so long that the fibers become pulpy enough to form a coarse sheet of paper.

The pounded bark sheets are then stacked and carefully cut with traditional knives into small square strips.

The square strips are transferred to a special vat, where they are incessantly trampled. The raw material is kneaded into a homogeneous mass through this human trampling, which is extremely demanding and requires even rhythm, speed, and force.

The trampled pulp is then placed in a gauze bag and swirled back and forth in a water tank. This step filters the pulp through the gauze into the water, creating a fine slurry.