In 1992, archeologists excavated 35,000 jiandu (bamboo slips or other wood for writing on times) in Xuanquanzhi relic site, 62 kilometers south of Dunhuang, Gansu Province. Now archeologists have almost finished a report on the discovery.

He Shuangquan, president of the China Bamboo-Slip Books Association and head of the excavation team, said among all the bamboo slips unearthed so far, only 23,000 bear characters, the rest of the 11,000 being all blank.

"In ancient times, large numbers of bamboo slips were consumed. If there were no factories to make bamboo slips, how could have those slips been made? After all, they couldn't have been made it at the last minute when they were needed. " So, experts presume that there must be an establishment in the old days that dealt with bamboo slips making, or something like today's paper mill. These bamboo slips were made in the central part of China, and then delivered to the remote places through the post houses.

The Jiandu slips discovered in Xuanquanzhi ruins were of wood. Some were made by diversiform-leafed poplar or tamarisk, or trees that grew locally. Evidently, these Jiandu were made locally. But some were made by pine woods or bamboo. "Jiandu made by pine wood or bamboo were clearly not produced locally. They must have been transported there from somewhere else. It is evident that there were some workshops in the central part of China that produced bamboo slips," said He.

He said that in bamboo slips times, slips used for writing on measured 30-57 centimeters long, and 1 centimeter wide. Slips used for writing normal official documents on measured 1-1.2 centimeters wide.
 
(Chinanews.cn August 25, 2006)