Invention of Paper in China...Wikipedia

A stack of copy paper

Paper, and the pulp papermaking process, was said to be developed in China during the early 2nd century AD by the Han court eunuch Cai Lun, although the earliest archaeological fragments of paper derive from the 2nd century BC in China.^[1]

Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typicallycellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets.

Paper is a versatile material with many uses. Whilst the most common is for writing and printing upon, it is also widely used as a packaging material, in manycleaning products, in a number of industrial and construction processes, and even as a food ingredient – particularly in Asian cultures.

Hemp wrapping paper, China, circa 100 BCE.

The oldest known archaeological fragments of the immediate precursor to modern paper date to 2nd century BC China. Papermaking is considered one of theFour Great Inventions of China, and the pulp papermaking process is ascribed to Cai Lun, a 2nd century AD Han court eunuch.^[1]  

The microscopic structure of paper: Micrograph of paperautofluorescing under ultraviolet illumination. The individual fibres in this sample are around 10 µm in diameter.