Chen Ziguo, 39, didn't expect that the papermaking technique handed down from his ancestors has become his way to get rich. He can earn more than 10000 yuan a year from papermaking, and he has to receive tourists from time to time.
During the immigration investigation of Silin Hydropower Station, the relevant departments were surprised to find that ancient papermaking still has tenacious vitality and is an important economic pillar of the local people by the Wujiang River of wenjiadian town.
Wenjiadian town of Sinan County is located on the edge of Wujiang River, with dense bamboo forests and gurgling streams on both sides. It has abundant papermaking resources. Every spring, the local farmers cut the bamboo and soak it in the lime pool to prepare it for papermaking. Four months later, the bamboo has been soaked in lime water and can be used for papermaking. Since then, all year round, as long as there is free time, the masses will take out a part of the bamboo bars from the lime pool, put them in the stone mill to grind the bamboo bars, and then put them into the pool mixed with structured leaves to make paper pulp. This paper-making method is primitive, ancient, and simple. It is said that it was handed down by Cai Lun, so every family has a statue of Cai Lun.
These paper-making people on the edge of the Wujiang River usually use their leisure time to make paper, so there is no mistake in making paper by farming. A normal family can increase their income by more than 10000 yuan only by papermaking, and papermaking has become their main income. According to the introduction of the responsible comrades of the town, there are nearly 100 papermaking households in the town. Besides supplying the local market, the products are regularly purchased by traders from Shiqian, Fenggang, Yuqing, and other places, with an annual output value of more than 1 million yuan.
Wenkedian town Wujiang ancient papermaking is the local people's way to get rich. It has also become a brand of Wujiang rural tourism, with frequent visitors coming to visit. Due to the construction of Wulin hydropower station in Wujiang, most of the paper mills and houses will be submerged after the impoundment of the power station. However, the local government and the Immigration Department have proposed to include papermaking in the immigration planning, so as to ensure that the local people can continue to inherit this ancient technology after the relocation and take it as a tourism project in the reservoir area in the future.