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Cai Lun
Cai Lun was a Chinese court official of the Han dynasty who is credited with refining the papermaking process…
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Hello! My name is Cai Lun, and I lived in a place called China a very, very long time ago. Back then, there were no paper books like you have. If people wanted to write something down, they had to use heavy pieces of wood or bamboo. Imagine carrying your books to school if they were made of wood! It was very hard work.
I worked for a very important person, the emperor, and I saw how tricky it was to write things down. I thought, 'There must be a better way!' So, I started experimenting. I took bits of tree bark, old rags, and fishing nets and mixed them all up with water into a goopy, mushy soup. Then, I spread the mush out into a thin sheet and pressed all the water out. I let it dry in the sun.
When it was dry, it turned into something new: paper! It was light, smooth, and perfect for writing and drawing. I showed it to the emperor in the year 105, and he was so happy. Soon, everyone could use my paper to share stories and ideas. I lived to be about 71 years old, and my idea spread all over the world. Every time you read a book or draw a picture on paper, you're using a little piece of my invention!
Hello, I'm Cai Lun!
Hello! My name is Cai Lun, and I lived in a place called China a very, very long time ago. Back then, there were no paper books like you have. If people wanted to write something down, they had to use heavy pieces of wood or bamboo. Imagine carrying your books to school if they were made of wood! It was very hard work.
I worked for a very important person, the emperor, and I saw how tricky it was to write things down. I thought, 'There must be a better way!' So, I started experimenting. I took bits of tree bark, old rags, and fishing nets and mixed them all up with water into a goopy, mushy soup. Then, I spread the mush out into a thin sheet and pressed all the water out. I let it dry in the sun.
When it was dry, it turned into something new: paper! It was light, smooth, and perfect for writing and drawing. I showed it to the emperor in the year 105, and he was so happy. Soon, everyone could use my paper to share stories and ideas. I lived to be about 71 years old, and my idea spread all over the world. Every time you read a book or draw a picture on paper, you're using a little piece of my invention!
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Cai Lun was a Chinese court official of the Han dynasty who is credited with refining the papermaking process around 105 CE.
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