Inspired by noodle wrappers, Chinese woman revives retro printing

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The arts of printing and papermaking make up half of China's "Four Great Inventions" -- discoveries that are celebrated as major breakthroughs in the country's history, and symbols of ancient China's achievements. But in the hustle and bustle of modern life, they are a far-off memory for many.

Li Huiping in southwest China’s Chengdu city decided to make her own efforts to bring back the traditional crafts --with a modern touch.

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Li's mission was inspired by her uncle, who ran a hand-made dry noodle business. He wrapped the noodles in retro-looking paper he printed at home.

“I always remember as a kid that my uncle made hundreds of wrapping papers by hand for dry noodles,” recalled Li.

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Although her uncle’s handmade craft was relatively rough, it remained a clear memory in the mind of Li. The sweet smell of the ink inspired her to start a journey to bring back the ancient methods of papermaking and printing.

As most letter characters necessary for ancient printing techniques have now been thrown away, it was a time-consuming process for Li to find brand new characters.

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But Li is now able to form a complete sentence with the characters she tracked down in east China’s Zhejiang Province.

“It really takes time to sort out characters, especially for a smaller size,” said Li.

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Now Li’s son, who’s attending elementary school, tries out composing and printing on his own.

In the modern world, where 3D printing is no longer a rarity, such traditions still matter. By passing them down, generation to generation, history and culture can be preserved.