Paper has been around a long time. Rarely do things have that kind of staying power.
Yes It was first invented in ancient China.
How long ago was that, I would think in the B.C. era maybe.
Do you know that even before paper existed  materials such as papyrus and amate existed in the Mediterranean world and pre-Columbian Americas?
I did not, what was considered first as "paper" as we know it?
Eastern Han period 25-220 C.E. was a turn around for the process of paper making as it was documented at that time 
Was it popular then? Do you know when paper became more widely used elsewhere in the world?
Yes it was because it found it's way to  the Islamic world, where pulp mills and paper mills were used for money making in the 8th century
Wow, something as simple as paper has a long history throughout a lot of cultures.
Wait for the big one, it took another 3 more centuries before it got to Europe in the 11th century