石城横江重纸，历史上赫赫有名。横江重纸以“明如玉，质如扣”闻名于世，又名玉扣纸，素有“石城不出名，横江传千里”之称。手工造纸术宋代即传入横江，明代已有一定的规模，清代为全盛时期。横江重纸具有洁净、细嫩、光滑、韧度强、耐水性好、能抗虫蚀，保持数百年不变质的优点，书写效果可与徽宣相媲美，价格却不及其一半，还独具防壁虎的功能。据《农工商矿纪略》记载：“石城县素以造纸为业，纸料尚称坚白，未停科举以前销路甚广，昔年出口，不下百万之数。”可见当年横江重纸的辉煌。清乾隆时期，横江重纸被誉为天然国宝，列为贡品。横江重纸制作繁琐而复杂，需经过砍竹麻、削竹麻、腌麻、剥竹麻、踏麻、加蓝打浆、操纸、焙纸等工序。竹麻砍倒后，架马削青皮、开竹片、扎把、挑麻，再放置进湖塘。约30天后，将竹麻反复清洗，再浸泡四个月后，下湖剥竹麻。剥去竹黄，然后榨干，再挑到纸寮中，将反复浸泡过后的竹片踏成竹浆状为止。最后把竹浆放入槽坊中，加入适量的清水，倒入“蓝汁”，用木棍搅成无粒状稀纸浆水即可。再提取水中的纸浆，刷于焙墙壁上，刷平整后，焙干撕下，放在铺板上，由师傅进行裁切好，最后卷纸扎上青竹皮条，即成重纸。抗战时期，横江地区纸槽发展至371家，年产纸5万余担。1951年成立国营横江手工造纸厂，共经营纸槽74家，年产207吨。产品除销往大江南北诸省外，还销往港澳台地区以及日本、缅甸、印度、南洋等地。改革开放后，由于机制纸的发展和市场的开放，传统手工纸的发展陷入困境。加上横江重纸的生产需要砍伐竹子，还会造成一定的环境污染，特别是赣江源国家级自然保护区位于横江地区，一边是经济社会发展，一边是生态环境保护，石城人没有犹豫，果断选择了后者，主动让横江重纸退出市场。从上世纪80年代末期开始，石城县逐渐推进重纸生产退出市场，引导产业工人转行。目前所有生产作坊全部关闭，横江重纸从此成为了记忆。为了留下这份历史记忆，石城县将横江重纸列入非物质文化遗产保护名录，组织专业人员对横江重纸的生产工艺进行挖掘和保护，收集相关录音录像，编纂文字资料，形成系统的生产工艺记忆。
Shicheng's Hengjiang paper, historically renowned, is famed for its "clarity like jade and texture akin to a clasp," also known as Yukou paper. It has always been said, "Shicheng may not be famous, but Hengjiang's fame spreads far and wide."
The art of handmade paper-making was introduced to Hengjiang during the Song Dynasty, reached a certain scale by the Ming Dynasty, and flourished during the Qing Dynasty. Hengjiang paper is characterized by its cleanliness, tenderness, smoothness, strong toughness, excellent water resistance, ability to resist insect erosion, and preservation without deterioration for hundreds of years. Its writing performance is comparable to that of Huizhou Xuan paper, yet it costs less than half the price. Moreover, it uniquely prevents geckos. According to the "Agricultural, Industrial, and Mining Summary," Shicheng County has traditionally relied on paper-making for its livelihood, with its paper materials being particularly sturdy and white. Before the cessation of the imperial examinations, there was a vast market for it, with exports reaching millions in previous years. This illustrates the splendor of Hengjiang paper in its heyday.
During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Hengjiang paper was hailed as a natural national treasure and designated as an imperial tribute. The production of Hengjiang paper is intricate and complex, involving processes such as cutting bamboo, peeling bamboo fibers, soaking them, stripping the bark, treading them, adding indigo for pulping, forming sheets, and drying them. After the bamboo is cut down, it is debarked, split into strips, tied into bundles, and soaked in ponds for about 30 days. The bamboo fibers are then repeatedly washed and soaked for four months before being stripped of their yellow hulls and pressed dry. They are then taken to the paper workshop, where the soaked bamboo strips are trodden into bamboo pulp. Finally, the pulp is placed into a trough, mixed with water and indigo, and stirred with a wooden stick until it becomes a grainless, thin pulp solution. The pulp is then extracted from the water, brushed onto a drying wall, evened out, dried, peeled off, placed on a board, and cut by skilled craftsmen. Lastly, the paper is rolled and bound with green bamboo strips to complete the heavy paper.
During the Anti-Japanese War, the number of paper workshops in the Hengjiang area grew to 371, producing over 50,000 dan (a unit of weight) of paper annually. In 1951, the state-owned Hengjiang Handmade Paper Factory was established, operating 74 paper workshops and producing 207 tons of paper per year. Products were sold not only throughout the provinces north and south of the Yangtze River but also to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar, India, and Southeast Asian regions. After the reform and opening-up policy, due to the development of machine-made paper and market liberalization, traditional handmade paper production faced difficulties. Additionally, the production of Hengjiang paper required bamboo cutting, leading to environmental pollution. Especially since the Gan River Source National Nature Reserve is located in the Hengjiang area, balancing between economic and social development and ecological environmental protection, the people of Shicheng did not hesitate and decisively chose the latter, voluntarily withdrawing Hengjiang paper from the market.
From the late 1980s onwards, Shicheng County gradually phased out heavy paper production, guiding industrial workers to switch careers. All production workshops have now closed, making Hengjiang paper a memory. To preserve this historical memory, Shicheng County has included Hengjiang paper in the list of intangible cultural heritage protection. Professionals are organized to excavate and protect the production techniques of Hengjiang paper, collect related audio and video recordings, compile written materials, and form a systematic recollection of its production processes.