Cheng Xin Tang Paper: Paper that is more expensive than gold in the history of Nanjing

â—Ž Why Nanjing has a profound relationship with the famous rice paper in history

â—Ž Is Cheng Xintang's paper fruit really the master of the South Tang Dynasty?

â—ŽWhat technology can imitate such a peerless rice paper?

Xuancheng Zhugebi, Huizhou Li Tingxuanmo, Chengxintang paper, and Wuyuan Longwei Temple were reputed as top grades in the four treasures of the Shufang in Southern Tang Dynasty. After a survey by the reporter, they found that there was a treasure that had a very close relationship with Nanjing. It is a clear heart paper. What is the paper of Cheng Xin Tang? What is its origin with Nanjing? Is Cheng Xin Tang Paper still present? How expensive is a Chengxuantang paper?

Cheng Xin Tang Paper is what kind of paper

Chengxintang Paper is a famous rice paper produced during the Southern Tang Dynasty. Regarding rice paper, many people are aware of its life experience. Its origin is in Jixian County of Anhui Province. In addition, Xuancheng, a county near Xuxian County, produces this paper in an equal way. During the Song Dynasty, the papermaking industry in Huizhou and Chizhou gradually shifted to the county of Yi County. At the time, these areas were under the jurisdiction of Xuanzhou Prefecture. Therefore, the paper produced here was called “Xuan Paper”. Xuan Paper is a paper used for writing and painting in ancient China. It is easy to preserve, long-lasting, and not fadeable. However, quite a number of people still have a misconception that Chinese traditional paper is rice paper.

The deputy director of Wu Shixin from the China Xuan Paper Association of Qixian County told reporters that the earliest time for the appearance of Xuan paper in China was in the Tang Dynasty, while papermaking in China appeared in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is generally believed that the paper was invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty, but archaeological finds also occurred in the Western Han Dynasty. Paper has already appeared. Are these papers rice paper? Wu Shixin said that this is a different concept, and rice paper is only one species in Chinese ancient paper. In ancient times, besides rice paper, there were many kinds of papers. There were usually papers named after people. For example, the paper Cai Lun invented was called "Cai Lun Paper," and Zuo Bo, which was invented by Dong Lai, was later used. There are also named after the main raw materials for paper, such as cotton paper and hemp paper, and papers named after place names, such as rice paper.

The difference between Xuan paper and other papers is that Xuan paper is made from the raw material of Qingtan bark of Anhui specialty. There is a folklore about the origin of Xuan paper. After Cai Lun died, his disciple Kong Dan was making paper in Minnan. Want to create a kind of white paper, good for the teacher's portrait, to express their memory. Later, in a canyon stream, he occasionally saw an old ginkgo tree lying on a river. As the water was washed all year round, the bark rotted and turned white, exposing long, white fibers. He was ecstatic, took paper, and after repeated trials, he succeeded. This was the later rice paper.

Xuan paper is white and smooth. It is the best paper for calligraphy and painting. At that time, it was superior paper. Therefore, it was loved by ancient literati, and the reputation was also great. People paid more attention to it. After the appearance of rice paper, the descendants have also been working hard, hoping that the paper technology can be further improved, so the Chengxin Church paper came into being.

Why Did Li Zhi, the Lord of Southern Tang Dynasty, Solitary

However, how does the Chengxuantang paper come from, and what does it have to do with Nanjing? Chen Jimin, an expert on local history in Nanjing, told the reporter that Cheng Xintang’s paper and the capital of Nanjing, the capital of Nantang, had a close relationship with Li Yu, and the name of the paper for Cheng Xintang also came from him.

Chen Jimin told reporters that before the Southern Tang Dynasty, a kind of paper called 蜀 蜀 was very famous. The postscript is said to have been made by the ancient West Cai Lun method because the local water quality is pure and the paper produced is also good. However, Li Ying suspected that the taboos could not be preserved for a long time, so that the paperworkers in Huizhou and Xuanzhou districts today created a thin, smooth and tough book of Cheng Xin Tang according to his wishes. After the paper was made, Li Yu liked it very much. He specifically opened the "Ching Cheng Hall" where he read and read the memorial and stored it. The name of the Cheng Xin Tang paper came from him. Li Yu treats Chengxintang paper as royal paper and uses it exclusively for the court. His own love for Chengxintang paper even reached the point where "non-Chengxintang paper is not a book".

However, historical records of this kind of emperor's paper were also very rare, but they were only involved in some later poetry and poetry. Therefore, exactly where the paper was made, it was Anhui or Nanjing.

Cheng Xin Tang Paper is made in Nanjing

Chen Jimin believes that Cheng Xintang’s paper should be created in Nanjing, and he also included Cheng Xin Tang Paper as the local property of Nanjing, and included it in the book “Jinling’s Handwriting” written by him.

Chen Jimin said that in the "Anthology of Jiangnan" compiled by the Qing Dynasty, there was such a record: "The master of Nantang was smashed and had to complete the work and make the line in the territory. However, the water of Liuhe was similar to that of Yangzhou (Liuzhou belonged to Yangzhou.) ) The service was set up at the time in Liuhe County, Nanjing, and there was a paper room in the southern area of ​​this floating bridge. In addition, Li Hao once personally worked with the paperworkers in the "Chengxin Church" of the Nantang Palace. " Cheng Xin Tang Paper." According to relevant literature records, Li Yong spared no expense to select domestic experts, gathered in the capital, and opened a paper workshop. Later, he simply emptied the paper from the Basilica of the Qingxintang. Every day, he went to the hall to watch the papermaking process. Sometimes he simply took off his royal robe, put on the paperworker's clothes, and together with them, he took paper and made paper. Every time he made a batch of paper, he personally tried to write it and tried repeatedly to improve until he was satisfied. After years of pondering, the craftsmanship of Chengxintang Paper has become increasingly sophisticated and has become a treasure in Xuan paper. In addition to enjoying the paper of Cheng Xin Tang himself, Li Yu is occasionally given to meritorious ministers to show rewards. It can be seen that the Chengxintang paper is manufactured in Nanjing as a replacement.

However, local history in Anhui believes that Chengxintang Paper is an Anhui special product because it requires the use of a kind of grass, called barberry, which is the main raw material for the production of Chengxintang paper, but it is The specialties of Anhui Province, which grew in the Longxu Mountain Scenic Area in Jixi County of Anhui Province, are recorded in the “Huizhou House Records”: there are many good papers on the daytime, there are condensing creams, the number of clear hearts, and the latter is up to 50 ft. From beginning to end even thin.

The local chronicles of the two places hold their own words, and the mystery of the birthplace of Cheng Xintang's paper is even more confusing. Can paper experts uncover this mystery?

The original Chengxintang is a semi-finished product processing workshop

The deputy director of Wu Shixin of the China Xuan Paper Association of Qixian County told the reporter that the Cheng Xin Tang paper should be produced in Nanjing and was manufactured and manufactured by Li Yu in the Nanjing Palace.

Wu Shixin told reporters that the initial production materials of Cheng Xin Tang Paper may indeed be produced in Anhui, Sichuan and other places, but the production in Anhui is still only a semi-finished product, which is Sheng Sheng Xuan, and that used in the Southern Tang Palace is mature and must be carried out. It can only be completed after reprocessing. The main difference between Shengxuan and Xuanxuan is that Shengxuan is not processed, water absorption and hydrophobicity are strong, and it is easy to produce rich ink rhyme changes. In order to absorb ink and accumulate ink, it is possible to collect water and faint ink. The artistic effect of the stern and thick Chinese zizi is used in freehand landscapes, while the matured Xuan is made from shuishui. The ink is not easy to infiltrate. It can be used as a neat and meticulous depiction. It can be repeatedly rendered and colored, and can also be traced to gold and silver. The green and blue colored meticulous landscapes represent the artistic effects of Jin Bihui's reflection. “Cheng Xin Tang Paper”, “Xue Taojian” and “Jin Hua Jian” are the mature propaganda made on the basis of raw rice paper. Therefore, the finished product called Chengxintang Paper should be produced at Nanjing Zhifang.

Wu Shixin also said that after the reprocessing of Chengxintang, the paper is smooth and tight, with the name "slippery as a spring and ice as dense as a pimple". It is the top grade of a weak blotter, light and brittle, that is, its characteristics. This kind of paper is "thin as bamboo paper, tough as tactile paper, colored as frost-covered snow, and lifelike as pine and cypress." It is very precious and is the royal paper for the court.

Imitation of Cheng Xin Tang Paper sells tens of thousands of yuan

So, how expensive is the Chengxintang paper? Some experts said that after the demise of the Southern Tang Dynasty, the paintings and paintings in Gongzhong were also moved to the Song Dynasty palace. However, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty did not like to use Qingxintang paper, but also ordered the development of other papers. The art of Cheng Xin Tang Paper has also gradually lost. However, afterwards, Cheng Qingtang's paper came out of the palace one after another and was collected by many scholars and literators. The Northern Song writer Liu Chang received one hundred of them and exhilarated the poem and praised: “One hundred gold sold one year, and there were thousands of axes in the Chengxin Church.... There was no one in the world, and I obtained 100 from the former. "From this it can be seen that the paper of Cheng Xin Tang at that time was already very precious and it was hard to find a lot of money.

Later, Liu Chang also sent ten sheets of paper to Ouyang Xiu. Ouyang Xiu learned a generation of literary men and wrote a poem. “Even though the royal family has a clear heart, dare to write down who knows what!” means that although There is a clear heart paper, but who is willing to write on it?

Ouyang Xiu gave a paper gift to Mei Yichen. Mei Yichen was also ecstatic. He wrote "Every Uncle Sends Cheng Cheng Tang's Two Photos": "Sliding as a spring and ice as close as you can, playing with surprises." Visible to Cheng Xin Tang Paper precious.

It is a pity that such a precious piece of paper is lost in craftsmanship. Therefore, the imitation of Cheng Xin Tang’s paper has been kept incessantly. Pan Gu, the ink maker of the Song Dynasty, was also a famous papermaker. He had imitated this kind of paper and was known as Song Imitation Cheng Xin Tang Paper. After the success of Pan Gu imitation paper, he sent 300 copies of his own imitation paper to Mei Yichen. Mei Chenchen compared this paper with Ouyang Xiu’s “genuine”: “Since now, the production has been light and thin, compared with ancient paper. The old paper is rich in quality, and it is difficult to push good things when you are old." It means that the imitation is not as smooth and thick as it used to be. However, this kind of imitation paper is not as good as the five generations of Chengxintang paper, but it is still cherished by the literati.

The "Ruiyi Pavilion" of the Qing court's inner court also imitated the book of Cheng Xin Tang. Emperor Qianlong himself was very fond of painting and calligraphy, and also liked to collect a variety of valuable papers. He was very eager for the Qingrentang papers that his predecessors praised, and he also began to copy this paper and also copied it.

Even though these imitations are sold at a high price, the imitations of the Qianlong imperial system in the Qing dynasty are now auctioned off and each one has to be photographed for 30,000 yuan. "If there is still the existence of the Chengxintang paper, then the value is not even more expensive." The experts all said the same.

Do you still have a clear heart paper today?

So, do you still have a clear hearted paper today? In Nanjing’s time-honored Shizhuzhai, a staff member who has worked there for more than 30 years has said that he has not heard of this kind of paper. Now the oldest rice paper here is from the Qing Dynasty, but it’s not a copy. Heart paper. So the reporter went to the Rongbaozhai branch of the Chaotian Temple to find out. Mr. Shen Shuhang, the sales manager of the four treasures of the library, told reporters that he knew there was a Xuan paper from Cheng Xin Tang, but if there was such a paper, it would be a national treasure class artifact, so they would not be here. There will be, even if the imitation of later generations are all antiques, he once heard that there have been imitations at some auctions.

However, Shen Shuhang also told reporters that although there is no pure Cheng Qing Tang paper, there should be some works written in the calligraphy of Cheng Xin Tang. He once heard that the Nanjing Museum had collections of calligraphy and paintings of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and these paintings and paintings may have been written on the pages of Cheng Xin Tang.

So the reporter went to the Nanjing Museum to ask Director Wu of the Department of Cultural Relics to inquire whether there is authentic painting of Nantang in the collection. It is a pity that Director Wu told reporters that the works of calligraphy and painting in the Southern Tang Dynasty have not been passed on. The Nanjing Museum has no collection of works from this period.

However, the reporter did not lose heart. After an online reporter searched, there was a painting of the Southern Tang Dynasty at Nanjing University. This is the famous National Treasure Painting and Calligraphy (also known as “The Map of Probing”). "Take ear map" was created by the Nan Tang Li Qi period painting court and was written by Wang Qihan. Wang Qihan was a Jinling man. His paintings "Pick-up ear map" and Gu Yuzhong's "Han Xizai night banquet picture" were all famous paintings at the time and were depicted. At that time, the portrayal of life in Nanjing also experienced the millennium without annihilation. According to the records of the records, the "Pick-up Ear" is 34 cm wide and 571 cm long. The painting is a huge three-fold screen with blue and green landscapes on the screen. Slightly to the left before the screen is a long and large case, with boxes, books and other objects placed on the case. Before the dwarf case on the right, one person was sitting on a chair, holding an ear spoon, and his left eye closed tightly. When he took the ear, his expression and mannerism were unique and his performance was very clear. There were books on the case. There is still a waiter on the right and he looks back to the screen.

So, did the "Pick-to-Earth Chart" be made from the book of Cheng Xin Tang? The reporter went to Nanjing University History Museum to find out what happened, but the person in charge told reporters that because the painting is too expensive, they are not showing it to the public and they cannot reveal too much information to the outside world. Whether or not the “Pick-up Map” was made by Cheng Xintang’s paper is not clear to them, saying that they should ask the relevant experts.

However, Chen Jimin, an expert on local history in Nanjing, told reporters that “Pick-up Map” was made with the paper of Cheng Xin Tang. Because Cheng Xin Tang Paper is a royal paper for the court, and “Picking Ear Charts” is painted by Li Yuyu with a painter, and in the bottom left side of “Pick-up Ear Charts”, Li Zhi is also covered by “The Seal of Jianye Wenfang”. It must be used. Cheng Xin Tang made of paper.

Can the paper be restored?

If we use modern papermaking technology, will we be able to restore the Chengxintang paper? Wu Shixin of the China Rice Paper Association told the reporter affirmatively that it is possible. Because last year, they had restored Qianlong Gong Xuan paper during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. On the market, one knife (100 pieces) of Qianlong Gong Xuan was able to sell more than 10,000 yuan. For Cheng Xin Tang Paper, they did not think of copying, but they had to carry out relevant paper samples before they were copied. After they had contacted some museums that had collections of Cheng Xin Tang's papers, they were unwilling to give them an analysis. Therefore, the papermaking techniques used to restore Chengxintang paper in the Southern Tang Dynasty have not been realized so far. This is where they are very sorry.

Prof. Guolin Guo, a key laboratory in pulp and paper at Nanjing Forestry University, also told reporters that in the previous two years, they had also imitated Xuan paper during the Qing Dynasty and were copied by the rice paper mills in Fujian. Professor Tong said that under modern technology conditions, it is not difficult to duplicate the production of these ancient papers. As long as the paper sheets are taken from that year, and the factors such as the structure and composition of the paper fibers are analyzed, they can be reproduced in this proportion. . Only the paper like the Chengxintang paper has historical value that is far greater than its craft value. If it is restored with modern technology, then its value will be discounted. Many people are very concerned about this issue. In addition, the Cheng Xin Tang Paper that can be preserved today is basically a calligraphy and painting work. The value of these works lies not only in the Cheng Xin Tang Paper, but also in the artistic value of its paintings and calligraphy. These national treasures have been preserved for thousands of years. However, if you want to come up with an analysis, it may be detrimental to your work, and if you also sample it, it will undermine the integrity of the work. It is estimated that this is one of the reasons why some collectors are not willing to copy it easily.

Of course, as professional researchers, if you have the opportunity to reproduce such valuable paper, of course, they are very yearning for, but I do not know when they can get what they want.