Pith paper is commonly known as “rice paper” in the West. However, it has nothing to do with rice at all. Pith papers were made from the pith of a special plant. The material was used by the Chinese for making artificial flowers for almost 2,000 years. Large quantities of Western style paintings done by Canton artists on pith paper were exported to Europe and America during the 19th Century. Most of these paintings were realistic portrayal of the Chinese townscape and life-style during the late Qing and were considered as snap-shots of China before invention of the camera. The talk is intended to introduce the subject to a wider audience and will be illustrated with outstanding examples drawn from the Muwen Tang Collection.