Paper Coloring Page

Paper was invented in China, and a court official named Cai Lun is traditionally credited with it in 105 AD. He is said to have made sheets from tree bark, old rags and fishing nets, mashed into a pulp, spread flat and left to dry. Pieces of even older paper have been found, so he may have improved the method rather than starting from scratch.

Before paper, people in China wrote on strips of bamboo, which were heavy, or on silk, which was expensive. Paper was light and cheap, and the secret of making it traveled slowly along trade routes. It didn't reach Europe until about the 1100s.