555 International
555.com documents traditional Chinese Xuan paper making techniques (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), centered on China Xuan Paper Co., Ltd. — the dominant producer controlling 80% of industry output — serving calligraphers, painters, cultural tourists, and educational institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What 555 International does
555 International's web property 555.com operates as a cultural heritage information portal documenting the traditional Chinese Xuan paper (宣纸) making technique, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2009. The portal's substantive subject is the Xuan paper industry ecosystem centered on China Xuan Paper Co., Ltd. (中国宣纸股份有限公司), a state-owned enterprise headquartered in Jing County, Anhui Province and established in 1951. The company is the dominant producer, controlling approximately 80% of total industry output at ~600 tons annually against an industry total of ~800 tons across 16 representative enterprises, with a workforce of approximately 1,300 employees and a 3 sq km production footprint.
555 International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 555 International
- Legal name
- 中国四大发明·中国非物质文化遗产 (China's Four Great Inventions · Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage)
- Website
- https://555.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- 555.com documents traditional Chinese Xuan paper making techniques (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), centered on China Xuan Paper Co., Ltd. — the dominant producer controlling 80% of industry output — serving calligraphers, painters, cultural tourists, and educational institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
555 International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Handmade Art Paper
- NAICS
- Paper Mills (32212), Stationery Product Manufacturing (32223)
- SIC
- Paper Mills (2621), Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Paper Manufacturing (Coated, Release, Thermal, Filter, Security) (IMAMAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Paper Converting Services (slitting, sheeting, coating, laminating, rewinding) (IMAMAHAJ), Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG)
Keywords
Where 555 International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
555 International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- 宣纸产品销售: Sales of handcrafted Xuan paper in various grades (棉料, 净皮, 特种净皮), sizes (四尺 to 四丈), and thicknesses (单宣, 夹宣, 三层). Primary revenue stream from manufacturing and selling finished Xuan paper products.
- 文化旅游及体验: Revenue from China Xuan Paper Cultural Park and Museum, including guided tours, demonstrations, and hands-on paper-making experiences for visitors
- 宣纸加工品及衍生品: Sales of processed Xuan paper products including 宣纸册页 (album pages), 印谱 (seal catalogs), 信笺 (letter paper), 仿古对联 (antiqued couplets), 折扇 (folding fans), 镜片, and 卡纸
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cotton Grade (棉料) - 30-40% Qingtan bark content |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pure Grade (净皮) - 60-70% Qingtan bark content |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Special Pure Grade (特种净皮) - 80%+ Qingtan bark content |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
555 International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
555.com is an informational and cultural heritage portal documenting China's traditional Xuan paper (宣纸) making craft, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2009. The platform presents the complete 108-step papermaking process using Qingtan elm bark and Shatian rice straw as raw materials, showcases Xuan paper products across multiple grades (Cotton-content, Pure Skin, and Special Pure Skin) and special large formats, and serves as an educational and promotional outlet for the China Xuan Paper Cultural Park and China Xuan Paper Museum tourism experiences.
Product overview
555 International documents the traditional Xuan paper (宣纸) making craftsmanship, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The website covers the complete production process involving raw materials (green elm bark and sand-field straw), core production techniques (paper pulp making, paper scooping, paper drying, paper cutting), and various product types classified by material composition (cotton, pure skin, special pure skin), size (four-zhang, three-zhang-three, standard formats), and texture patterns (single-silk, double-silk, Luo pattern, turtle pattern). The cultural heritage ecosystem includes the China Xuan Paper Cultural Park and China Xuan Paper Museum for public education and tourism.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cotton-content Xuan Paper (棉料宣纸) Xuan paper with 30-40% Qingtan elm bark content, suitable for calligraphy practice and entry-level use, sold in standard sizes (four chi) and various thicknesses (single-silk, double-silk, three-layer).
- Pure Skin Xuan Paper (净皮宣纸) Xuan paper with 60-70% Qingtan elm bark content, suitable for calligraphy, bird-and-flower painting, and small freehand brushwork.
- Special Pure Skin Xuan Paper (特种净皮宣纸) Xuan paper with 80%+ Qingtan elm bark content, premium grade suitable for landscape painting and splash-ink freehand style.
- Four-zhang Xuan Paper (四丈宣) The largest commercially available Xuan paper, measuring 13.2 meters in length by 3.6 meters in width, produced by Jingxian Sanxing Xuan Paper Factory.
- Three-zhang-three Xuan Paper (三丈三宣) Giant Xuan paper measuring 11.4 meters in length by 3.6 meters in width, created by China Xuan Paper Co., Ltd. in 2015.
- Red Star Brand Xuan Paper (红星牌宣纸) The earliest restored Xuan paper brand after the founding of the People's Republic of China, a well-known brand in the stationery industry, produced under the Red Star (红星) trademark.
- Processed Xuan Paper Items and Derivatives Processed and derivative Xuan paper products including album pages (宣纸册页), seal catalogs (印谱), letter paper (信笺), antiqued couplets (仿古对联), folding fans (折扇), photographic paper, and card paper, expanding the traditional paper into ready-to-use cultural goods.
- China Xuan Paper Cultural Park (中国宣纸文化园) Cultural tourism complex in Jing County, Anhui Province, covering approximately 40,000 square meters, featuring the China Xuan Paper Museum, ancient papermaking workshops, Four Treasures of the Study experience park, and calligraphy exhibition areas for visitors and tourists.
- China Xuan Paper Museum (中国宣纸博物馆) The first comprehensive Xuan paper museum in China, covering approximately 10,000 square meters, with exhibits on traditional materials, processes, tools, and finished products.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of Xuan paper industry production controlled by China Xuan Paper Co., Ltd.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use 555 International
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
555 International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
555 International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Xuancheng Industrial School (宣城市工业学校)coreStrategic cooperation between China Xuan Paper Co., Ltd. and Xuancheng Industrial School for training new generations of Xuan paper craftspeople. The company provides workshop facilities including paper-forming and drying workshops,派出技术工人进行现场指导. The school provides student recruitment, with graduates directly assigned to China Xuan Paper Co., Ltd. From 2012 to 2015, three cohorts of nearly 100 students were recruited, with several graduates entering Xuan paper-related positions.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
555 International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Awagami Factory: Japanese handmade washi paper manufacturer in Tokushima, Japan, producing traditional mulberry-fiber papers (kochi, honshu) for fine art, calligraphy, and conservation. Most direct international analog to traditional Xuan paper as a heritage-grade handmade specialty paper for East Asian ink arts.
- Hidaka Washi Co., Ltd. Long-established Japanese washi producer supplying traditional papers for calligraphy, printing, and conservation. Comparable as a heritage handmade specialty paper maker serving calligraphy and fine-art end markets similar to Xuan paper.
Broad incumbents
- Hahnemühle FineArt GmbH: German fine-art paper manufacturer (founded 1584) producing traditional mould-made and cotton-based papers for painting, printmaking, and digital fine art. Comparable as a premium specialty paper maker serving artists and calligraphers with longevity-graded products.
- Canson SAS: French fine-art and stationery paper producer (founded 1557) with global distribution of drawing, painting, and printmaking papers. Comparable as a heritage brand in artist-grade paper serving similar ink-based art use cases.
- Arches (Canson): Iconic French mould-made paper brand owned by Canson, used for printmaking, watercolor, and calligraphy. Comparable as a premium artist paper brand with centuries-old production heritage analogous to Xuan paper's cultural positioning.
- Mohawk Fine Papers: US-based premium specialty paper manufacturer producing fine printing, writing, and cover papers with sustainability certifications. Comparable as a specialty paper maker serving premium stationery, fine-art, and design markets adjacent to Xuan paper's use cases.
Emerging players
- Saint-Armand Papers: Canadian handmade paper mill in Montreal producing artisanal cotton and recycled papers for artists, printers, and designers. Comparable as a small-scale handmade specialty paper maker with cultural heritage positioning targeting artist customers.
- Paperwise B.V. Dutch sustainable paper manufacturer producing tree-free paper from agricultural waste (wheat straw). Comparable in product category (specialty/converted paper) and in pursuing sustainability differentiation, but does not overlap directly in artist-grade or heritage market.
Regional players
- Legion Paper / Awagami USA: US-based fine-art paper distributor and converter that imports and distributes Awagami washi and other handmade Asian papers to North American artists. Comparable as a Western channel for traditional East Asian handmade papers into fine-art and calligraphy markets.
- Terial Magic / Hanji Paper Producers (South Korea): South Korean hanji (traditional mulberry paper) producers under Korea Hanji Industry Cooperative support, serving calligraphy, painting, and conservation markets. Comparable as a national heritage handmade paper ecosystem with government-backed protection analogous to Xuan paper's UNESCO status.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
555 International social profiles
Digital presence555 International compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
555 International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
555 International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
555 International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
555 International M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 555 International
What does 555 International do?
555.com is an informational and cultural heritage portal documenting China's traditional Xuan paper (宣纸) making craft, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2009. The platform presents the complete 108-step papermaking process using Qingtan elm bark and Shatian rice straw as raw materials, showcases Xuan paper products across multiple grades (Cotton-content, Pure Skin, and Special Pure Skin) and special large formats, and serves as an educational and promotional outlet for the China Xuan Paper Cultural Park and China Xuan Paper Museum tourism experiences.
When was 555 International founded?
555 International was founded in 1988. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is 555 International based?
555 International is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does 555 International make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. 宣纸产品销售 is the primary driver. The others are 文化旅游及体验 and 宣纸加工品及衍生品.
Who are 555 International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Awagami Factory and Hidaka Washi Co., Ltd.. Broad incumbents are Hahnemühle FineArt GmbH, Canson SAS, Arches (Canson) and Mohawk Fine Papers. Emerging players are Saint-Armand Papers and Paperwise B.V.. Regional players are Legion Paper / Awagami USA and Terial Magic / Hanji Paper Producers (South Korea).
Does 555 International have an API?
No public API is recorded for 555 International.
What industry is 555 International in?
555 International's product category is Handmade Art Paper. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAEAC, Specialty Paper Manufacturing (Coated, Release, Thermal, Filter, Security), with a secondary code of IMAMAHAJ, Paper Converting Services (slitting, sheeting, coating, laminating, rewinding). Its NAICS code is 32212 and its SIC code is 2621.