Papermaking technique was invented in the Han Dynasty ("Caihou Paper" was made in 105 A.D.) and originated in the Huanghe River basin.In the period from wei of the Three Kindoms to the Tsin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasty (220-580 A.D.),paper industry was mainly distributed in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.In the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907 A.D.) paper industry was unprecedentedly prosperous.There were official and private paper mills almost all over the country.In 1840-1949 as China was reduced to semi-feudal and semi-colonial society,paper industry was transferred mainly to the coastal areas such as Shanghai,the southern part of the Northeast region,Taiwan etc.Since the founding of the People's Republic of China the distribution of paper industry has been developing harmoniously and rationally.In a word,the distribution and changes of China's paper industry depend on political,economic and geographical factors.The geographic changes of paper industry often varied obviously with the geographic transfer of politiacl and economic centers.Of course,the distribution and changes also depend on the dispersion and availability of raw materials,fuel and water source,as well as on transport conditions.