The first recorded paper factory in history was established in the Chinese city of Xianyang in the early 2nd century AD. The factory was established by the Han Dynasty Emperor Wu Di and was called the “Imperial Papermaking Workshop.” The factory was responsible for producing paper for the imperial court and government, and it is considered the first recorded instance of mass production of paper in history.
Before the establishment of the Imperial Papermaking Workshop, paper was made by hand in small workshops or by individual artisans. The process of making paper was labor-intensive and time-consuming, and the resulting paper was of relatively low quality. The establishment of the Imperial Papermaking Workshop revolutionized paper production by introducing a number of innovations, such as the use of bark from the mulberry tree as a raw material, and the use of animal hide glue to bind the fibers together. These innovations made it possible to produce paper in large quantities and at a lower cost, and they laid the foundation for the mass production of paper that we see today.