[Take you to visit the RMB printing factory]

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China's currency printing industry was very closed off in the past, and even the factories used code names. For example, Beijing Banknote Printing Factory was originally called "Factory 541," and Shanghai Banknote Printing Factory was originally called "Factory 542." Nowadays, the situation has changed significantly. China's currency printing industry has started to slowly unveil its mysteries, and the sign "Beijing Banknote Printing Factory" is now proudly displayed at the entrance. Nevertheless, most banknote printing factories around the world still do not allow the public to visit.

The production of a single Renminbi note goes through more than ten processes, from hand-carved templates to printing. The first step in producing Renminbi is selecting the paper. Workers check the quality of the banknote paper on a large lightbox. Banknote paper is a specially developed type of paper. In addition to being wear-resistant, fold-resistant, acid-resistant, and alkali-resistant, it is also covered with watermark patterns used for anti-counterfeiting. Because the watermarks on banknote paper have a specific direction, the paper selection workers need to stack the sheets according to the direction of the watermark and use a punching machine to make alignment holes on the edges.\
This step must not go wrong, otherwise, banknotes with inverted watermarks will be produced. Such notes are considered waste in the printing factory, but if they enter the market, they become highly valuable "collectibles" for currency enthusiasts. The reason they are valuable is that the strict quality inspection in the printing factory makes the chance of such waste entering the market extremely low.

Once the banknote paper is selected, it is sent to the printing workshop. Several high-speed intaglio printing machines can turn blank sheets into Renminbi notes. Anyone with a basic understanding of printing knows that printing always begins with test printing before reaching the optimal state. However, when printing Renminbi, test printing is not allowed on banknote paper; generally, ordinary paper is used for trials. This is because each sheet of banknote paper is strictly controlled in quantity, and none can be wasted. If waste occurs after official printing even if scrunched into a ball, it must be registered and examined following a series of procedures.

After the notes are printed, they go through a cutting process. The initial "fresh-off-the-press" product is as large as the People's Daily newspaper and contains 24 Renminbi notes per sheet. This process cuts them apart. The final step is quality inspection, considered the "most crucial" part of the banknote printing process.Quality inspection in the sealing hall is done manually. Rows of semi-enclosed workstations are neatly arranged, with sheets of new RMB in the hands of the female inspectors and on their desks. Each desk also has a high-wattage desk lamp. The lighting is very important for them, as they need to check the quality of every banknote under the lamp, such as whether the numbers and text are printed incorrectly, whether the color is even, whether the watermark is inverted, and then remove defective bills.
Each worker inspects tens of thousands of printed materials every day. If someone is lazy and flips through several sheets at once, they will be recorded for misconduct once discovered. During the transfer of sequences, the previous process counts the items before passing them on to the next process, and the next process also counts the items upon receipt, with counting also serving as a quality inspection. The workers here have extremely skilled money-counting techniques, which is impressive. They pinch a stack with their hands, and one stack is exactly one hundred bills, no more, no less. The most distinctive aspect of management in the banknote printing plant is numerical management: from the release of paper stock to final product packaging and storage in the national treasury, every step requires counting—'how many are taken out and how many are returned.' There is a saying here: 'Every transaction must be counted.' Once a discrepancy in number is found, it is traced through each step according to records until resolved. Of course, the workshop is also equipped with various banknote counting machines, which are very fast, far beyond those used in banks or stores today. Numerical management and the principle of 'every transaction must be counted' are effective management methods.
However, this is ultimately an external management constraint. To prevent people, who face thousands of banknotes every day, from having improper desires, the more important factor is 'inner moral restraint.' Semi-finished products with printed serial numbers, once cut, are placed in carts with welded iron cages and multiple large locks during transfer, and bundles of money are stored inside. After passing quality inspection, the 'products' are counted and packed into boxes, which are then sent to the 'treasury' of the People's Bank of China. Afterwards, physical RMB must be issued through the issuance warehouse of the People's Bank and enter circulation via commercial banks (such as ICBC, Bank of China, etc.). The branches, sub-branches, and counters of various commercial banks deliver cash to the public through deposits, withdrawals, bank loans, and old currency exchanges. Only after being issued by the central bank through these processes can these 'products' be called 'money.'For workers in the banknote printing factory, the Renminbi placed in the production workshop is nothing more than an ordinary product they produce. Although they work amidst banknotes at all times, the production quantities are strictly controlled, and even defective Renminbi cannot be thrown away at will; it must be handed over and periodically checked. If any problems are discovered, 'the entire department will be investigated.'

In addition, every workshop in the factory is equipped with a 24-hour surveillance system, so anything that happens at any time or in any department can be reviewed through computer records. Therefore, workers at every stage of the banknote printing process do not move around casually. The first thing for workers entering the banknote printing factory is to study the confidentiality regulations: they are not allowed to visit other teams in the workshop, not allowed to tell friends that they work in the factory, and not allowed to discuss anything related to banknote printing. The banknote printing industry has a unique corporate culture, and managers repeatedly instill in workers the idea: 'You are dealing with a product, not money.'