Cai Lun
Cai Lun was born in (; modern-day, Leiyang, Hunan province) in the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE). His exact year of birth is unknown; estimates include , , and . Other than being born into a poor family, virtually nothing is known of his early life. Guiyang was a southern commandery, where Han Chinese had immigrated for hundreds of years to plant and cultivate rice. Legends suggest there was a pool near his home, south of which was a stone mortar that Cai would later use for papermaking.