The Craftsmanship of Phoenix Paper

Although extant documents do not detail the specific production process, three key characteristics can be discerned from related historical materials: First, it employs mulberry bark paper as its base, endowing it with considerable resilience. Second, it utilizes the technique of gilding with gold paste to depict phoenixes, imparting a three-dimensional texture to the patterns. Third, its dimensions adhere to official standards, commonly measuring one chi and two cun (approximately 33 cm) square. These craftsmanship characteristics distinguish it markedly from ordinary writing paper. It is estimated that the production cycle for each phoenix paper could extend to over a month.