Hu Zongliang
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Hu Zongliang, Male, Han, from Guiyang, Guizhou, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Pizhi Making Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-67). The tradition is documented in Guiyang, Guizhou. Within the regional tradition and school record of Pizhi Making Craftsmanship in Guiyang, Guizhou: The bark paper making technique is preserved in many parts of Guizhou, with the techniques of Xiangzhigou in Guiyang (Buyi ethnic group), Xiaotun in Zhenfeng County, and Shiqiao in Danzhai County (Miao ethnic group) being the most outstanding. Guizhou is a region inhabited by ethnic minorities, and many areas of the province still preserve the ancient techniques of making traditional bamboo paper and bark paper. The Cultural Heritage Protection Service Center of Wudang District, Guiyang, is the protection unit for this project. Taking the bamboo paper produced in Xiangzhigou as an example, the technique is said to have begun in the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, giving it a history of more than six hundred years to the present day. The white cotton paper produced in Xiaotun, Zhenfeng County, originated in the Xianfeng era of the Qing dynasty; until the end of the last century, more than a thousand households throughout the township were still engaged in scooping paper production.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Hu Zongliang is anchored in the documented technical standards of Pizhi Making Craftsmanship in Guiyang, Guizhou. Within the documented technical tradition of Pizhi Making Craftsmanship in Guiyang, Guizhou: Papermaking is one of the four great inventions of ancient China; bamboo paper, made from bamboo, and bark paper, made from paper mulberry bark, are two important varieties of traditional handmade paper. Guizhou is a region inhabited by ethnic minorities, and many areas of the province still preserve the ancient techniques of making traditional bamboo paper and bark paper. Among them, the techniques of Xiangzhigou in Guiyang (Buyi ethnic group), Xiaotun in Zhenfeng County, and Shiqiao in Danzhai County (Miao ethnic group) are the most outstanding. The complete set of operations comprises 72 process steps — cutting bamboo, splitting bamboo, retting bamboo, steaming and boiling, grinding bamboo slivers, pulping, scooping paper, pressing, and drying — identical in every respect to the papermaking method recorded in Song Yingxing's Tiangong Kaiwu. The finished product is soft yet tough, bears hidden bamboo-fiber markings, and gives off a faint fragrance. The paper produced there uses paper mulberry bark as its raw material; the complete operation likewise passes through 72 process steps, and the finished paper is soft and tough, even, and moistly supple. The white bark paper produced in Shiqiao, Danzhai County, likewise uses paper mulberry bark and fir roots as raw materials, and colored paper is also produced, in six varieties including cloud-dragon crepe, raised-and-indented (embossed), pressed-flat, flower-and-grass, and hemp paper. Its production process generally involves more than ten stages. In manufacture the cotton-like pulp is diluted with water, a slippery mucilage (hua yao) is added and stirred evenly, and the sheet is formed by scooping, pressing, sun-drying, and peeling before being packaged as the finished product; the paper is soft and tough, glossy and smooth, and highly water-resistant. All the handmade papers described above place strict demands on raw materials, water quality, and workmanship. The transmission of the technique relies entirely on oral instruction and personal example, and alongside the craft itself it has given rise to rich paper-industry customs, including the annual worship of Cai Lun, the grand master of papermaking. In light of these facts, the related bamboo-paper and bark-paper making techniques have become important evidence of cultural diversity and ethnic identity. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "": "Archival Record of Process Steps": The complete set of operations comprises 72 process steps — cutting bamboo, splitting bamboo, retting bamboo, steaming and boiling, grinding bamboo slivers, pulping, scooping paper, pressing, and drying — identical in every respect to the papermaking method recorded in Song Yingxing's Tiangong Kaiwu.
Archival Record of Process Steps
The complete set of operations comprises 72 process steps — cutting bamboo, splitting bamboo, retting bamboo, steaming and boiling, grinding bamboo slivers, pulping, scooping paper, pressing, and drying — identical in every respect to the papermaking method recorded in Song Yingxing's Tiangong Kaiwu.
Core Technique I
Papermaking is one of the four great inventions of ancient China;
Core Technique II
bamboo paper, made from bamboo, and bark paper, made from paper mulberry bark, are two important varieties of traditional handmade paper.
Core Technique III
Guizhou is a region inhabited by ethnic minorities, and many areas of the province still preserve the ancient techniques of making traditional bamboo paper and bark paper.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Hu Zongliang was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Pizhi Making Craftsmanship, with Guiyang, Guizhou as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Pizhi Making Craftsmanship in Guiyang, Guizhou: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Guiyang, Guizhou as its declared area, and Guiyang Wudang District Culture Yichan Safeguarding Service Center (Guiyang Wudang District Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Service Center) as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
Taking the bamboo paper produced in Xiangzhigou as an example, the technique is said to have begun in the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, giving it a history of more than six hundred years to the present day. The white cotton paper produced in Xiaotun, Zhenfeng County, originated in the Xianfeng era of the Qing dynasty; until the end of the last century, more than a thousand households throughout the township were still engaged in scooping paper production.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luo Shouquan | Guiyang, Guizhou | 01-0179 | Same declared area |
| Liu Shiyang | Zhenfeng, Guizhou | 01-0180 | Other regional school |
| Wang Xingwu | Danzhai, Guizhou | 03-1330 | Other regional school |
| Wan Aizhu | Longyou, Zhejiang | 04-1855 | Other regional school |
| Zhang Shifeng | Xiangfen, Shanxi | 05-2764 | Other regional school |
| Pan Yuhua | Danzhai, Guizhou | 05-2765 | Other regional school |
| Hu Zongliang | Guiyang, Guizhou | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。