Tiny sheets of paper carry profound history

Intellectuals and artists collaborate on personalized stationery, adding a human touch to the unique tradition of huajian, which celebrates fine papermaking skills and printing workmanship, Lin Qi reports.

In the age of social media, the photos and images used in people's profiles have become a shield for introverts to participate in online socializing, or a personality statement, aesthetic preference, or fleeting emotion as their avatar changes from time to time.

However, in ancient times, people relied heavily on exchanging letters and brief notes for communication. Intellectuals and artists felt that writing or drawing on white paper was far from fully offering an expression of their thoughts and literary and artistic tastes. Thus, they designed a special type of patterned paper called huajian, ordered studios to print the paper, and decorated it with customized motifs and characters, on smaller-sized sheets.

From the Tang Dynasty (618-907) poets who initiated this elegant trend to Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), who took pride in his majestic taste, and modern literary figures of repute like Lu Xun, they all shared enthusiasm for personalized paper art. Each contributed to the flourishing of this small craft, which celebrated China's fine papermaking and printing workmanship spanning centuries.