Handmade paper revived in Nantou County

2014-10-30

Handmade paper is making a comeback in Nantou County, central Taiwan, on the back of efforts by local industry stalwart Kuanghsing Paper Factory.

“Many of Taiwan’s significant artworks like calligraphy and paintings would never have seen the light of day without handmade paper,” Kuanghsing owner Huang Huan-chang said. “It is our responsibility to boost the industry and we are making real headway in this regard.”

According to Huang, a key measure was converting his 50-year-plus factory into a tourist attraction in 1996. “The facility conducts a series of activities such as papermaking workshops designed for all ages. It also retails related cultural and creative items like clothes, lamp shades and snacks made of vegetable fiber,” he said.

The snacks, shaped like small pieces of paper, are a hit with visitors from home and abroad since launching in 2011. Available in basil, ginger and other flavors, the tasty treats serve as reminders of the papermaking process invented by Tsai Lun during the East Han dynasty (25-220).

Equally important, Huang said, is a database of the factory’s high-end paper varieties containing names, types of fibers, production dates and weights. “This undertaking opens the door for preserving the intricacies of handmade paper.

“It also allows us to recreate similar products in future and provide artisans with access to special paper required for traditional works.”

With the factory attracting 200,000 visitors a year, it is quickly becoming one of Taiwan’s must-visit cultural and creative destinations. “We anticipate even healthier numbers going forward and plan on rolling out more innovative measures,” Huang said.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=223420&CtNode=413)