Paper: An Invention That Freed Knowledge, or a Weapon That Shaped Thought?
Before paper became common, a report sent to a Chinese emperor could require thousands of bamboo strips. One account says the scholar Dongfang Shuo used more than 3,000 strips to present a memorial to Emperor Wu of Han. Readers had to wait while the long bundle was opened and read. Silk was lighter, but expensive, so most people could not use it for writing.
⬛ CONFIDENTIAL CDMediaKhamPha 8/31/2026 1 min read
Before paper became common, a report sent to a Chinese emperor could require thousands of bamboo strips. One account says the scholar Dongfang Shuo used more than 3,000 strips to present a memorial to Emperor Wu of Han. Readers had to wait while the long bundle was opened and read. Silk was lighter, but expensive, so most people could not use it for writing.
Before paper became common, a report sent to a Chinese emperor could require thousands of bamboo strips. One account says the scholar Dongfang Shuo used more than 3,000 strips to present a memorial to Emperor Wu of Han. Readers had to wait while the long bundle was opened and read. Silk was lighter, but expensive, so most people could not use it for writing.
Before paper became common, a report sent to a Chinese emperor could require thousands of bamboo strips. One account says the scholar Dongfang Shuo used more than 3,000 strips to present a memorial to Emperor Wu of Han. Readers had to wait while the long bundle was opened and read. Silk was lighter, but expensive, so most people could not use it for writing.
Before paper became common, a report sent to a Chinese emperor could require thousands of bamboo strips. One account says the scholar Dongfang Shuo used more than 3,000 strips to present a memorial to Emperor Wu of Han. Readers had to wait while the long bundle was opened and read. Silk was lighter, but expensive, so most people could not use it for writing.
Before paper became common, a report sent to a Chinese emperor could require thousands of bamboo strips. One account says the scholar Dongfang Shuo used more than 3,000 strips to present a memorial to Emperor Wu of Han. Readers had to wait while the long bundle was opened and read. Silk was lighter, but expensive, so most people could not use it for writing.