What is the significance of the invention of papermaking

During the last years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, as the economy continued to progress, the demand for paper

was also increasing.

At that time, Cai Lun saw that it was very inconvenient for people to write, so he

researched and adapted the method of making paper.

He led his craftsmen to make paper from materials such as bark, hemp and rags. He would first cut or slice the material, macerate it in water for a considerable time, pound it into a paste that might be boiled, and then place it on a mat and let it dry in the sun.

The paper thus produced was light and thin, making it ideal for writing.

This method of making paper is still popular today.

The invention of papermaking was beneficial to the development of culture in China. A few centuries later, papermaking spread to Korea, Japan, India and Arabia, and later to Europe via North Africa. Paper technology has promoted the dissemination of human culture, is the great contribution of the Chinese people to world civilization.