2ND CENTURY AD

A reference to the use of toilet paper dates back as early as circa 589 when the scholar-official Yan Zhitui wrote: Paper on which there are quotations or commentaries from the Five Classics or the names of sages, I dare not use for toilet purposes.

During the later Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), an Arab traveller to China in the year 851 AD remarked: They [the Chinese] do not wash themselves with water when they have done their necessities; but they only wipe themselves with paper.

During the early 14th century, it was recorded that in what is now Zhejiang alone, ten million packages of 1,000 to 10,000 sheets of toilet paper were manufactured annually.[6] During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 AD), it was recorded in 1393 that an annual supply of 720,000 sheets of toilet paper (approximately 2 by 3 ft (60 by 90 cm)) were produced for the general use of the imperial court at the capital of Nanjing

By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the production of paper had increased greatly and some of it was used as toilet paper to wipe bottoms. However, paper was still very expensive and was generally only used by large families to wipe their bottoms.

14th Century China

Elsewhere, wealthy people wiped themselves with wool , lace or hemp , while less wealthy people used their hand when defecating into rivers, or cleaned themselves with various materials depending upon the country and weather conditions or social customs.

Before 16th century

Before 16th century, the Japanese use cicada wings, which are made by stitching together several pieces of cicada wings. However, the wings are transparent and latticed, so it is inevitable that they will break during use.