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Memorial Hall of Cai Lun
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Cai Lun Memorial Hall is located on the Caizi bank in Leiyang City,
Hengyang of Hunan Province. The Marquis Cai Memorial originally is the residence of Cai Lun (63 A.D-121 A.D), the inventor of paper making skill in Eastern Han Dynasty.
History of the Hall
Cai Lun
invented paper-making in 105 A.D, made the world first plant tissue paper, rewriting the history of bamboo and cloth writing note. It became one of the four greatest inventions in ancient times of
China, which had significantly promoted the development of Chinese Civilization.More than a thousand years later, the skill of paper-making is passed to the Eastern Asia and Europe.
People built the memorial in the original place of the residence to memorize Cai Lun. It is not exactly known when Marquis Cai Memorial was begun to be built. In 1338 A.D, Chen Zongyi, the governor of Leiyang city, rebuilt the memorial. Being destroyed and rebuilt for several times, the building remaining today was rebuilt in Qing Dynasty. According to
Annotation to Scripture of Hydrology and Geography by Li Daoyuan, “Lei River passes Caizhou in northwest. The west of Caizhou is the original residence of Cai Lun, near where there is Cai Zi Pool.”
Features of the Hall
Cai Lun Memorial Hall is simple, unsophisticated and elegant. Facing the south, it takes an area of 408 square meters and is of brick-timberwork.
There are three layers and two courtyards. In the antehall, there are three small houses with green tile roof. There are corridors in the two sides. The middle axis is a paved path with cover leading to middle hall.
There are also three houses in the middle and back halls, connected with walkway and corridor. Over the main door, there is a stone plaque of Marquis Cai Memorial, a stone couplet of “with beautiful pool and shining moon, the style of the original residence remains here”.
Cai Lun Memorial Hall consists of three wood-brick bungalow. The hall is elegantly designed and constructed. It houses a statue of Cai Lun and a number of historical documents relating to paper-making technology. The hall is of great historical and cultural value.
Travel Tips
Add: on the bank of Caizi Lake, Leiyang City, Hengyang, Hunan Province
Transport: Take bus No.2 in Leiyang downtown area
Admission : CNY 20
Opening hours: 08:00-18:00