Paper trail leads to new archival material
Kaihua Paper
An ancient Chinese paper is likely to overtake its modern counterpart as archival paper, according to Shanghai researchers.
Kaihua Paper, invented in the namesake county in Zhejiang Province, could date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), but it came to prominence in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), favored by the royal court to document important content for its white, smooth, thin, tough and long-lasting texture.
The traditional paper-making craft nearly died out in the middle of the Qing Dynasty as the supply of wikstroemia, a plant and main material, was seriously depleted, while at the same time Western paper gradually gained popularity.
Now researchers from Fudan University have come to the rescue.
They solved technological bottleneck to revive the ancient craft. Late professor Zhong Yang traveled across the country to identify wikstroemia as the main material, said Yang Yuliang, dean of the university's Institute for Preservation and Conservation of China's Ancient Books.
A girl in traditional costume introduces Kaihua Paper to the audience.
Yang said every square meter of Kaihua Paper only weighs 2 grams, but it can be preserved for nearly 3,000 years, greatly outlasting today's acid-free paper which is used as archival paper but can only last for about 700 years.
"We are currently trying to combine Kaihua Paper with high-speed printing, hoping to develop a new archival paper," he said.
Yang and his vice dean Yang Guanghui shared the progress at the opening ceremony to celebrate the 20th National Science Popularization Day at the Shanghai Science Hall on Saturday.
The ceremony also presented talks and performances by China's Antarctica expedition researchers, geneticist Zeng Fanyi, pianist Kong Xiangdong, and soprano Huang Ying.
Through September 23, a variety of activities will be held across the city, such as science fairs, exhibitions and interactive games.
