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Of those who originated China's Four Great Inventions of the ancient world—the compass, gunpowder, papermaking and printing—only the inventor of papermaking, Cai Lun, is known. [81] Additionally, in comparison to other Chinese inventions such as the writing brush and ink, the development of paper is the best documented in literary sources. [6]
The word "paper" is etymologically derived from papyrus, Ancient Greek for the Cyperus papyrus plant. Papyrus is a thick, paper-like material produced from the pith of the Cyperus papyrus plant which was used in ancient Egypt and other Mediterranean societies for writing long before paper was used in China.
This sub-section is about paper making; for the writing material first used in ancient Egypt, see papyrus.. Paper: Although it is recorded that the Han dynasty (202 BC – AD 220) court eunuch Cai Lun (50 AD – AD 121) invented the pulp papermaking process and established the use of new materials used in making paper, ancient padding and wrapping paper artifacts dating from the 2nd century BC ...
Before paper was invented, the ancient Chinese carved characters on pottery, animal bones and stones, cast them on bronzes, or wrote them on bamboo or wooden strips and silk fabric. These materials, however, were either too heavy or too expensive for widespread use. The invention and use of paper brought about a revolution in writing materials.
A fragment of a dharani print in Sanskrit and Chinese, c. 650–670, Tang dynasty The Great Dharani Sutra, one of the world's oldest surviving woodblock prints, c. 704-751 The intricate frontispiece of the Diamond Sutra from Tang-dynasty China, 868 AD (British Museum), the earliest extant printed text bearing a date of printing Colophon to the Diamond Sutra dating the year of printing to 868
Chinese paper-cutting originated from the practice of worship of both ancestors and gods, a traditional part of Chinese culture dating back roughly two millennia. According to archaeological records, paper-cutting originates from the 6th century, although some believe that its history could be traced back as far as the Warring States period (around 3 BC), long before paper was invented.
Chinese paper folding, or zhezhi , is the art of paper folding that originated in medieval China. The work of 20th-century Japanese paper artist Akira Yoshizawa widely popularized the Japanese word origami ; however, in China and other Chinese-speaking areas, the art is referred to by the Chinese name, zhezhi .
Paper with legible Chinese writings on it has been dated to 8 BC. [2] The traditional inventor attribution is of Cai Lun, an official attached to the Imperial court during the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 CE), said to have invented paper about 105 CE using mulberry and other bast fibres along with fishnets, old rags, and hemp waste. [3]