The dissemination of paper

The dissemination of paper

As one of the Four Great Inventions of ancient China, paper may have originated in southern China and is closely related to the culture of bark cloth. From an archaeological perspective, the diffusion process of bark cloth technology worldwide follows a route from southern China, Indochina Peninsula, Philippines, to Central America. 

Paper-making technology was introduced to Vietnam in the early third century; to Korea, Japan, and India in the early seventh century. It may have spread westward to Western Asia before the seventh century, and as early as 650 AD, paper-making technology had reached Samarkand in Central Asia. By 707 AD, paper was already being used by the Arabs in Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula. 

In 794, a paper-making workshop established by Chinese craftsmen appeared in Baghdad, marking the spread of paper-making technology to the Arab region. In the 800s, it was introduced to Egypt, gradually replacing papyrus, and by the mid-10th century, it had completely replaced papyrus. 

In the early 12th century, it was introduced to Spain, where Arabs initially established a paper mill in Sativá, and in 1157, Christians established a paper mill in Vidalon. Italy used paper introduced by Arabs in the 12th century, and only in 1268 did it establish its first paper mill in Brianza. Subsequently, paper mills appeared in Bologna, Padua, Genoa, and other places in 1293. 

Paper was introduced to France in the 14th century, and in 1348, France's first paper mill was established in Troyes. Germany had been importing paper from Italy since the 13th century, and with the assistance of Italians, established its first paper mill in Ulm in 1390. The Netherlands established a paper mill in Dordrecht in 1586. 

In the early 14th century, Britain imported paper from Italy, and in 1495, John Tate established the first paper mill in Fen Dutton. By the end of the 17th century, there were about a hundred paper mills in Britain. Russia established its first paper mill in 1575, and by the beginning of the 18th century, it had 23 paper mills. 

The first paper mill in the Americas was established in Culhuacan near Mexico City, and the first paper mill in the United States was established near Philadelphia in 1690. In 1729, the British established the famous "Ivy Paper Mill" in Chester Creek near Philadelphia. In 1803, the Americans established the first paper mill in the town of Saint Andrews in Quebec, Canada.

Regarding the relationship between Cai Lun and papermaking, there are currently two different opinions. The first opinion holds that he is the inventor of papermaking, while the second opinion suggests that paper had already replaced bamboo slips in the early Western Han Dynasty, and Cai Lun was merely an innovator in papermaking. It seems that the second opinion is correct, as linen paper used for writing already existed in the early Western Han Dynasty, 200 years before Cai Lun. 

Cai Lun's contribution was to organize and promote the production and fine craftsmanship of high-quality linen paper, which facilitated the development of papermaking. However, it is possible that the person who "invented the idea of using tree bark as paper" was Cai Lun or his subordinates in the imperial workshop. Leather paper is made from tree bark fibers, and its technical difficulty is greater than that of linen paper. 

Cai Lun's contribution lies in the development of leather paper production in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Linen paper and leather paper have been the two pillars of Chinese paper for 1200 years since the Han Dynasty, and Chinese culture has relied on the supply of these two types of paper to develop rapidly.