Pan Xiaoying, owner of the Yuezhuzhai workshop, checks piles of Yuanshu paper. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_e0efb6abe23e]

Hangzhou made several new discoveries in its fourth national cultural relics survey, with Fuyang district verifying and listing 10 new ancient papermaking sites, shedding light on the craftsmanship of traditional Chinese papermaking, immortalized in the famed painting Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains.

Along the Fuchun River, the centuries-old Yuezhuzhai workshop — now officially registered — continues a tradition of bamboo papermaking dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279).

A worker levels Yuanshu paper. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_e0efb6abe23e]

Using mountain spring water and tender bamboo, artisans carry out the 72 traditional steps required to make Yuanshu paper, prized for its durability and purity and credited as a key reason the iconic painting has survived for over 600 years. The entire process takes several months to complete.

Fuyang's rich waterways and bamboo forests supported papermaking as early as 1,900 years ago, making it one of China's historical paper hubs. During the latest survey, authorities rechecked three previously recorded sites and identified seven new ones, expanding protection for both static ruins and workshops still in use today.

A worker makes Yuanshu paper with time-honored techniques. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_e0efb6abe23e]

Officials say the findings strengthen the protection of traditional crafts, ensuring ancient papermaking skills continue to be preserved, practiced, and shared with the public.

A calligraphy masterpiece written on Yuanshu paper. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_e0efb6abe23e]