Paper from panda poop
Apaper enthusiast has successfully made paper from panda poop.
The unusual achievement comes after years of experiments at his paper mill in Qiliang village, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, said to be the place where Cai Lun invented paper during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220).
Liu Xiaodong, a former primary school headmaster, has been studying the original ancient methods of making paper since he retired eight years ago.
He says his revival of an ancient production method is completely environmentally friendly. Unlike modern paper-making, which involves chemicals like caustic soda, he pickles the wood used as a raw material and the liquid used is so clean afterwards it can be put in a fish tank.
Liu and his assistants often go to the giant panda research and breeding center 10 kilometers from their village to pick up panda poop.
"We used to bury or burn the panda poop but now we are happy to see Mr Liu is recycling it in an environmentally-friendly way," says Zhou Juanhua, a researcher at the base.
It has taken Liu two years of experiments to make something resembling rice paper from a combination of panda poop, kiwi vines and mulberry.
He hopes the paper will become a popular product to be given as a gift.
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Pandas at the giant panda research center, where Liu finds poop. Photos by Huo Yan / China Daily |
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Raw material - some of the panda poop that will be used to make paper. |
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Drying the poop and other raw materials, ready for the paper-making process. |
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Pickling the poop in preparation before turning it into paper. |
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The finished product takes shape in Liu's paper mill. |
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A proud Liu shows off the finished product, made according to an ancient recipe. |
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An ink and wash painting on the paper shows how it can be put to good use. |
(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/25/2016 page4)
