Hong Kong Xuan Paper Brands Complete Guide

Many friends in Hong Kong might wonder: What Xuan paper brands are available in Hong Kong? After extensive research, Qi Ming found that Hong Kong doesn’t actually have local companies producing Xuan paper. This isn’t surprising, though.So there are no actual Hong Kong Xuan paper brands, because all authentic Xuan paper is produced in Jing County, Anhui Province.

Xuan paper is a national geographical indication product. In Qi Ming’s view, only paper made in Jing County, Anhui Province, containing sandalwood bark and Shatian rice straw can be considered authentic Xuan paper. True Xuan paper must not only contain sandalwood bark and Shatian rice straw, but also be made with paper medicine and mountain spring water.

Hong Kong’s Xuan paper market mainly focuses on selling mainland Chinese Xuan paper, especially commemorative products. Here’s information about Hong Kong-related Xuan paper brands and retailers found online.

Hong Kong Xuan Paper Brands

Although called “Hong Kong Xuan paper brands,” these are actually products from mainland China. Based on online information, such papers aren’t numerous, mainly Red Flag Brand and Red Star Brand.

1. Red Flag Brand（红旗宣纸）

Representative Product: 1997 Hong Kong Handover Commemorative Xuan Paper (raw Xuan, 69×138cm specification, produced in Jing County, Anhui in the 1990s)

Features: Has collectible value, with prices rising significantly over the years. For example, the Handover commemorative edition rose from a factory price of 2,800 yuan per dao (100 sheets) to 12,800 yuan per dao.

Red Flag Xuan paper has a long history, gaining recognition as early as the 1980s. In the 1980s, Red Flag Brand Xuan paper occupied an important position in the Xuan paper industry. However, with changing times, in 2002, the three major Xuan paper giants – Red Flag, Red Star, and Chicken Ball – merged, forming today’s familiar situation.

After the merger, Red Flag Brand Xuan paper became a popular target for counterfeiting and forgery, making genuine Red Flag Xuan paper even more precious.

Types and Characteristics

Red Flag Xuan paper comes in rich varieties, from common four-chi single Xuan to eight-chi long scrolls. Common sizes include 53×225cm and 34×23cm. Different types of Xuan paper have distinct characteristics.

Cotton material Xuan paper has a delicate texture, suitable for writing and painting. Pure bark Xuan paper uses the finest raw materials with superior texture. Each sheet bears the inscription “建国五十周年” (50th Anniversary of the Founding of the Nation) in regular script, making it a treasure sought after by collectors.

A friend of mine has a precious collection of Red Flag small Xuan paper sets, including 66 and 88 different types of Xuan paper. These papers are cut from whole sheets, so sizes may vary slightly, but each sheet has unique pencil markings and is folded into SF Express large envelopes when shipped to ensure cleanliness and safety.

Identifying Authentic vs. Fake

There are many ways to identify authentic Red Flag Xuan paper. You can start with the paper’s appearance – genuine products usually have thin texture, white color, and pure grain. Counterfeit products may be thicker, yellowish, or greenish in color.

Additionally, authentic products have excellent ink absorption. When writing or painting with ink, they can show depth and shading effects, while counterfeits often perform poorly.

I discovered a useful tip: the stamp and employee number on the certificate of authentic products usually match, while counterfeits may have mismatched stamps and numbers. I once saw counterfeit Red Flag Xuan paper where the stamp and number clearly didn’t match, and the texture felt less refined than authentic products.

When purchasing, always look for genuine product marks and anti-counterfeiting codes to avoid buying fakes.

I hope these tips help everyone better identify authentic Red Flag Xuan paper.

2. Red Star Brand（红星宣纸）

Representative Product: 1997 Hong Kong Handover Limited Edition Commemorative Xuan Paper

This has three specific characteristics:

First, trademark differences make export versions show only “红星牌” (Red Star Brand) or a five-pointed star, while domestic versions feature both the five-pointed star and “红星牌” characters.

Second, size differences are obvious. Export version Red Star Xuan paper four-chi size is 70×138, while domestic four-chi paper size is 69×138.

Finally, most export version Red Star Xuan paper uses cotton material, which might confuse some painters since cotton material is typically considered unsuitable for painting. However, export version paper is mainly used for sandwich Xuan, with single sandwich being particularly suitable for ice, snow, and landscape paintings. In the 1970s and 1980s, many painters also used cotton material sandwich Xuan to create traditional Chinese paintings.

Hong Kong Xuan Paper Brand Characteristics

Commemorative Focus: Hong Kong market commonly features commemorative versions of mainland Xuan paper (such as handover themes), with few locally unique brands.

Collectible Properties: Old Xuan paper is sought after due to natural aging. For example, Dinghai Year Jade Edition Xuan paper has already developed some mature characteristics.

Sales Channels: Art supply stores like Wen Lian Zhuang in Central are main retail points, also selling brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Differences Between Hong Kong and Mainland Xuan Paper

Product Positioning: Hong Kong market focuses on collectible-grade Xuan paper, while mainland emphasizes calligraphy and painting creation.

Specification Differences: Export version Red Star Xuan paper is slightly larger (70×138cm vs 69×138cm).

Overall, Hong Kong has few local Xuan paper brands, with the market mainly distributing mainland products (especially commemorative editions), while manufacturers mostly focus on industrial paper fields.

This is the information available online about Xuan paper brands sold in Hong Kong. However, I estimate many friends looking for Hong Kong Xuan paper brands actually want to buy Xuan paper in Hong Kong, so I’ve found information about relevant Four Treasures of the Study shops in Hong Kong.

Where to Buy Xuan Paper and Four Treasures of the Study in Hong Kong

1. Wen Lian Zhuang（文聯莊Man Luen Choon）

Wen Lian Zhuang Company was established in 1955. Cai Lan, one of Hong Kong’s four great talents, once introduced this Four Treasures of the Study shop, and many local Hong Kong newspapers have reported on this store.

Since the 1950s, Wen Lian Zhuang has continuously provided high-quality traditional Chinese writing tools to overseas and local calligraphers and painters, beginners, schools, colleges, painting classes, government units, and public and private organizations. They also offer mounting, framing, mailing, packaging, and shipping services.

Over the years, many great calligraphers and painters have honored the shop with inscriptions, including Ye Gongchuo, Zhang Shizhao, Zhang Daqian, Liu Haisu, Li Keran, Xie Zhiliu, Qi Gong, Rao Zongyi, and others who have supported and encouraged the business.

Address: 2nd Floor, Hang Fung Building, 29-35 Wing Kut Street, Central, Hong Kong

Business Hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed Sundays (appointments available), closed on public holidays. Appointments needed for purchasing stationery supplies.

2. Ji Gu Zhai（集古齋）

Ji Gu Zhai was established in 1958. It’s a professional cultural and artistic institution under Bauhinia Culture Group and Joint Publishing Group. Their core business includes sales of art items like calligraphy, painting, ancient books, and Four Treasures of the Study, as well as organizing large art exhibitions, calligraphy and painting auctions, art book and magazine publishing, and cultural arts education and training.

Ji Gu Zhai is a famous cultural and artistic brand with great influence in Hong Kong and overseas. It includes galleries, art bookstores, auction companies, Xi Ling Academy, “Artist” magazine, Hong Kong Calligraphy and Painting Cultural Artifacts Association, and other cultural divisions. They continuously work to provide professional services for cultural and art enthusiasts and collectors worldwide, meeting the cultural and artistic needs of people in Hong Kong and beyond.

Address: 4th Floor, China Merchants Art Building, 9-10 Queen Victoria Street, Central, Hong Kong

Business Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (closed Sundays and public holidays)

3. You Sheng Chang（友生昌筆墨莊 Yau Sang Cheong）

There’s less online information about this shop. Opened in 1974, it mainly deals in Four Treasures of the Study, stone seals and ink pads, fan paintings and silk fans, mounting supplies, traditional Chinese painting pigments, color dishes and porcelain jars, fine mounting of calligraphy and paintings, custom seal carving, and overseas mail order services.

Address: 3rd-5th Floor, Cheong Wah Commercial Building, 3-5 Saigon Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon

Business Hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00 AM-7:00 PM, Sunday and public holidays 1:00 PM-6:00 PM

With e-commerce platforms like Taobao from mainland China continuously promoting in Hong Kong, I’ve heard many Hong Kong calligraphy enthusiasts say that buying on Taobao is still cheaper. However, if you need something urgently, Qi Ming still suggests buying from offline stores, since shipping takes 2-3 days.

This is information about Hong Kong Xuan paper brands, hoping it helps friends living in Hong Kong.