Smooth yet tensile. Versatile and durable.
With these qualities, Xuan paper is known as the "Paper of Ages".

The term Xuan paper first appeared in On Famous Paintings through the Ages,
a book written by Tang Dynasty (618-907) scholar Zhang Yanyuan,
in which he described Xuan paper as
an ideal carrier for calligraphy and painting.
Handmade Xuan paper from Jingxian county, East China's Anhui province,
was listed as a tribute to the imperial court
for its supreme quality during the period.

The traditional craft of making Xuan paper is extremely demanding.
Sandalwood bark, a plant native to southern China,
goes through 108 procedures together with rice straw
over the course of three years
before it can transform into a batch of fine Xuan paper.
The entire procedure is so complex that
even the most skilled craftsman
can only master limited number of steps. 

The flow of ink, both guided and resisted by water,
determines the output of Chinese art,
and Xuan paper outshines others with its excellent ability to give full play to ink.
Different proportions of bark to straw during the papermaking process
can create different canvases best suited for
artistic expression in freehand ink paintings or calligraphy. 

Xuan paper has accompanied the passionate brushstrokes
of the Chinese literati for thousands of years.
Unlike other forms of paper,
it is very resistant to damage brought by time.
It is this durability that
has made the preservations of many valuable works from ancient China possible.

Papermaking is a crystallization of wisdom of the ancient Chinese,
and “Xuan paper” is the zenith of papermaking.